About

I never intended to become a jewelry expert. Born and raised in Frederick, Maryland, my childhood was spent exploring the rich history and craftsmanship of the Mid-Atlantic. My grandmother’s antique jewelry shop in downtown Frederick sparked my fascination with gemstones and metals, while weekend trips to Baltimore’s historic neighborhoods introduced me to diverse cultural influences on design.

After high school, I commuted to Baltimore to study interior design, where I discovered my knack for incorporating jewelry elements into home styling projects. The contrast between Frederick’s small-town charm and Baltimore’s urban energy gave me a unique perspective on how personal adornments reflect our environments. My clients were intrigued by how I’d display their jewelry collections as functional art pieces within their living spaces.

My East Coast roots gave me a solid foundation, but it was my first post-college trip abroad that transformed my passion into a calling. During a three-month journey through Morocco, Spain, and Turkey, I found myself drawn to local marketplaces and artisan workshops, meticulously documenting how different cultures integrated jewelry into their homes and daily lives.

In 2018, when a fierce winter storm caused a pipe to burst in my historic Frederick home—ruining both my carefully curated jewelry collection and my vintage Chesapeake Bay-inspired furniture—I discovered the unfortunate gap between home service professionals and jewelry expertise. The local restoration team knew how to fix my walls but had no idea how to properly handle my water-damaged jewelry cabinet and its contents. Even the specialists I called from Baltimore were stumped by the combination of issues.

That’s when Jetting Jewels was born – a place where my seemingly disconnected passions for jewelry, travel, and thoughtful home design could converge. Whether you’re seeking the perfect jewelry storage solution for your bedroom renovation, inspiration for displaying souvenirs from your travels, or simply dreaming of distant bazaars from your living room, you’ve found your community.

When I’m not writing, you’ll find me in my renovated barn workshop just outside Frederick upcycling vintage brooches into drawer pulls, consulting with clients on jewelry-inspired home transformations throughout the DMV area, or planning my next expedition to discover artisans whose work deserves to be celebrated. I still make monthly pilgrimages to Baltimore’s Lexington Market and Hampden
neighborhood for inspiration—there’s something about Maryland’s blend of Southern hospitality and East Coast pragmatism that keeps me grounded even as my work takes me around the world.

Welcome to Jetting Jewels. I can’t wait to share this journey with you.
— Maya