Introducing Squirrel City Jewelers

Jewelry Making

Mar 28

*Selections from Michelle Pajak-Reynolds’s “Voyageuse” collection available at Squirrel City Jewelers*

I’m thrilled to announce that a special selection of my jewelry is now available at Squirrel City Jewelers in the heart of beautiful Downtown Kent, Ohio. This delightful shop has a special area for one-of-a-kind artisan-made jewelry and an on-site workshop making it the new go-to spot in Kent for stunning designs and all of your jewelry and watch repair needs.

Each piece at Squirrel City Jewelers is handpicked by owner Michael Faehnel, who is a precious metals artisan, master bench jeweler, expert in repair work and lover of handcrafted pieces.

My friendship with Michael goes back over 20 years as he and I were classmates in Kent State University’s Jewelry and Metals program in the late 90s and spent countless hours in the Metals Studio honing our design and jewelry making skills. When he contacted me several months ago to share news of his new adventure and invite me to showcase my work in his shop, I couldn’t have been prouder of my friend nor did I hesitate to say yes.

Michelle Pajak-Reynolds Squirrel City Jewelers Exclusives

On April 20th, I’ll be making a special personal appearance at Squirrel City Jewelers from 11:00am-4:00pm during Downtown Kent’s Who’s Your Mama Earth Day Festival and Block Party. Please join us for this fun day and experience the beauty of sparkling gems (all gifts from Mother Nature) in person.

Squirrel City Jewelers

164 E. Main St Suite A

Kent, Ohio 44240

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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