In this special Everyday Thin Places podcast episode, jewelry designer Michelle Pajak-Reynolds shares how she started making jewelry at 5 years old, her travel adventures, including mining some of the gems that will be in her future collection, the research that is inspiring her current work and much, much more. Listen here or on your favorite podcast platform.

Carat and karat are often confused, but one measures gemstone weight while the other defines the purity of gold. This post breaks down the history and meaning of both terms, explains how gold fineness works, and offers practical guidance for choosing the right karat based on lifestyle, aesthetics, and personal values.

Inspired by moss, literature, and long walks through Ohio’s forests, this post traces the creative journey behind the Voyageuse Collection. From ancient moss colonies and national park trails to chrome diopside, golden enhydro quartz, and vesuvianite, it explores how nature’s textures, colors, and quiet resilience are translated into ethically crafted fine jewelry with a deep sense of place and purpose.

At first glance, labradorite appears soft and grey, but when light hits its surface, it reveals vivid flashes of blue, green, and fiery orange known as labradorescence. Rooted in Inuit legend and inspired by the Northern Lights, this post explores the history, symbolism, and unique beauty of labradorite, along with how I love to work with these ever-changing stones in my jewelry designs.

Discover the creative process behind the “Angels & Gems” editorial, a collaboration between jewelry designer Michelle Pajak-Reynolds and fashion photographer Julie Stanley. From designing jewelry inspired by water goddess mythology to styling, hair, makeup, and photography, this behind-the-scenes look shows how every detail comes together to create ethereal, magazine-ready images that bring jewelry collections to life.

From backstage at New York Fashion Week to the Emmy Awards red carpet, follow the journey of the Undina Collection—meticulously handcrafted by designer Michelle Pajak-Reynolds.

I’ve designed jewelry since I was 5 years old so my work has evolved a lot over the decades. My first pieces in the early 1980’s were made with pop-beads and jelly bracelets. As I got older I spent my babysitting money on beads and jewelry supplies from craft stores and taught myself how to make the pieces I wanted to wear.

The following interview by Beth Anderson was originally published on Chic Galleria on August 1, 2016.