Claire de Lune: Minimalist Jewels Inspired by the Lady in the Moon

Jewelry MakingInside the StudioCollections
Written By Michelle Pajak-Reynolds

Michelle Pajak-Reynolds’s Claire de Lune Collection: Salina chandelier earrings featuring 1.5 carats (total weight) ethically sourced Montana sapphires and rhodium plated recycled sterling silver. Photo credit: Julie Stanley/JuleImages

An elegant minimalist collection inspired by the shimmering silver light of the full moon. Classic and timeless, these one-of-a-kind designs handcrafted in ethically sourced Montana sapphires and sterling silver are sure to be treasured for generations.

Kids Ask the Most Interesting Questions

“Mama, what kind of jewelry does the Lady in the Moon wear?” asks my 8-year-old daughter while setting a marshmallow on fire for a s’more during our regular backyard campfires during the full moon.  Discussion of moonbeams, sparkles and magic wands takes place in between bites of sticky sweetness and melted chocolate as ideas for earrings and pendants start swirling in my mind. This is the birth of Claire de Lune, a collection of 6 handcrafted sterling silver designs accented with stunning pastel Montana sapphires. 

Making the Claire de Lune Collection

The Montana sapphires in Claire de Lune are cradled in sterling silver bezel settings. This style of setting is the most secure way to set gemstones. The designs for each piece in the collection allow the sapphires to move freely for maximum sparkle in contrast to the satiny sterling silver moonbeams and full moons. Once complete, each design is carefully rhodium electroplated. Rhodium plating is the jewelry industry standard for making sterling silver tarnish resistant and easy to maintain.

Wear a bit of magic and wonder

Gazing at the full moon has generated a sense of wonder and tales about the beings that might live there for centuries. The Claire de Lune collection captures these magical moments as wearable art for our modern times and future generations to enjoy.

Michelle Pajak-Reynolds

The creative journey of Michelle Pajak-Reynolds—from childhood spark to timeless, handcrafted treasures.

“My love story with jewelry began before I was born. My parents met across a jewelry counter—my mother, a jewelry department manager; my father, a police officer working loss prevention in his off-duty hours. That moment of serendipity set everything in motion.

By five, I was working on my first designs in pop-beads and jelly bracelets, completely captivated by Lynda Carter’s Wonder Woman—especially those iconic power bracelets and her gleaming tiara. I didn’t want to just wear magic, I wanted to make it. With babysitting money and a fierce sense of purpose, I bought beads and wire from the local craft store and taught myself the fundamentals. That curiosity turned into a calling.

I took my first metalsmithing class in high school and never looked back. I went on to earn a BFA in Jewelry/Metals from Kent State University and an MBA in Entrepreneurship from Baldwin-Wallace University—equipping me to build a business rooted in craftsmanship, creativity, and soul.

Since founding my namesake jewelry company in 2001, I’ve focused on creating meaningful, one-of-a-kind designs—each one handcrafted using traditional metalsmithing techniques and ethically sourced materials. My work is intimate and intentional: forged in fire, shaped by hand, and designed to stir something deep within you. Every gemstone, every metal, every story that inspires a collection is carefully chosen, researched, and refined. This is slow jewelry with a purpose: to help you mark what matters most.

My pieces have graced red carpets at the Emmy Awards, runways at New York Fashion Week, and exhibitions around the world—including aboard the United Nations Peace Boat. Collectors, stylists, and editors seek out my work, but what means the most to me is when a client says, “This feels like it was made just for me.”

Because it was.

Jewelry, to me, is personal mythology made tangible. It’s a way of preserving the past, celebrating the present, and passing something meaningful into the future. So when you open your jewelry box, you're not just looking at beautiful objects—you're holding pieces of your life’s story. And maybe, just maybe, you're beginning a new chapter.” - Michelle Pajak-Reynolds

michellepajakreynolds.com
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