I was introduced to Drops of Sunshine from my friend Gabriela, who told me that her mom, Maria Soares, has started her own line of jewelry. Maria has gifted me a piece to feature on my blog. These are my opinions of the necklace I received.
Maria grew up in Brazil, a country known for its vibrant culture. She currently lives in Canada, a country that she has lived in for more than 25 years. She takes inspiration from both countries and you can clearly see it in her jewelry collection on her Etsy shop, Drops of Sunshine by Maria.
Unique, Handcrafted jewelry in Canada
All of her pieces are hand crafted by her and are one of a kind. If you have a piece, it is guaranteed there will be no other piece like it!
The piece I chose is a beautiful, bold necklace called “Red Jasper and Crystal”. Joao, Maria’s husband, explained to me that the large centre stone, a red Quartz, was picked out by Maria on their trip to Jasper, hence the name Red Jasper.
The smaller stone is rock crystal, which is woven in with golden metal alloy, (which is also used for the details around the clasps) hanging from a silk cord.
Drops of Sunshine Surprise!
The signature feature of her pieces is the “drop of sunshine” that she attaches to the clasp. Each item’s drop of sunshine is unique, crafted exclusively for each piece with beads made with gemstones, crystal, porcelain, ceramic, etc., according to the character of each piece.
What I love
When I was choosing out which piece for Maria to send me, I had such a hard time picking out what I wanted. I’ve ordered jewelry online before and am a bit disappointed when I receive them.
This was not the case with Drops of Sunshine. Even though the pictures are really beautiful and carefully display the details (great job, Joao!), I was surprised to find that the photos did not do this necklace justice once I opened my package The necklace is soooo much more beautiful in person!
Another problem I have with jewelry online is that it shows up in the mailbox, and the necklace is so much smaller than I thought it would be.
Again, not the case with Drops of Sunshine!
The pendant on my necklace had a very good weight, and was a nice, chunky size. I am a big and bold jewelry kind of girl. I love how the stone makes up the necklace, with a more understated, simple and clean silk cord. This is the right balance of boldness. It’s not too much or too little.
I was also impressed with the materials used. I have made my own jewelry in the past, and found that most materials are cheap and flimsy feeling. You all experience this with a lot of “fast fashion” jewelry too, I’m sure.
The gold wire used in my necklace was thick and solid. It won’t easily bend (and risk being ruined) if it catches on clothing.
The clasp is also made of the same high quality wire. At first I was surprised. I was not sure of how secure or strong it’d be, but after touching and trying on the necklace, I realized that this wire is the real deal and wasn’t going anywhere.
I love the size, the weight, and the high quality of my necklace so much. Although this necklace was inspired by the Canadian rockies, I think it would look awesome paired with a tropical print dress or a bright bikini on the beach!
I have met all of the Soares ladies, and Gabi has said so many great things about her family members. I know that these ladies are all super talented and creative. They are also super passionate and put so much love into everything they do!
Thank you Maria for giving me this opportunity to share your art!
You can find her work on: