Local sea glass and natural gemstone jewelry offers positive vibes

Like most 20-year-olds juggling work and financial stability, Brie Fagan of Manahawkin found the sea glass and natural crystal and gemstone jewelry she loved to wear was simply out of her price range. But her thrifty nature and passion for all things handmade, fueled as a child by her grandmother’s

Photo by Dave Ambrose
Brie Fagan's beach-inspired jewelry mimics
the beauty and wonders of the ocean.

artistic flair, has beckoned her to begin crafting the jewelry herself. She opened her own Etsy shop in August, called The Wandering Gypsea, where she sells most of her wares.

Inspired by the beaches of Fagan’s hometown near Long Beach Island, the handcrafted necklaces, bracelets, rings, pendants, flower crowns and body jewelry offer a beautiful, coastal vibe perfect for any time of year. The accessories are made with mostly natural components, including sea glass from her father’s personal collection, found during scuba diving trips along the East Coast. Shark teeth obtained by local fishermen at Viking Village have also found their way into some of the handmade pieces.

Most of the jewelry also incorporates quartz crystals and gemstones mined from around the world, which are known to invoke spiritual energies. The crystals and stones are mostly purchased from other artists through Etsy, though Fagan recently acquired new inventory from Charmed in Company, located in Waretown.

Although Fagan did not initially believe crystals or gemstones could possess natural energies, she said she was introduced to the idea during a visit with friends in Asheville, N.C. Instead of flowers, many of the local residents offer healing stones as gifts, she explained.

Photo by Brie Fagan
A handmade flower crown is the perfect
accessory for a beach-side wedding.

“They’re so pretty, and I just think they make interesting jewelry,” said Fagan. “I can’t say, ‘Take this stone, and your life’s going to be better, and you’re going to feel sunshine and happiness.’ But I think it’s like someone’s lucky hat. It might not actually be lucky, but if you have that in your head, and you have that extra confidence wearing a crystal stone, I feel like it really does make a difference. It just makes you feel good. Even just the weight of some of them feels good; it feels right,” she explained.

Citrine quartz, which Fagan described as a stone of “manifestation, imagination and personal will,” is just one of the different stones she uses for her jewelry.

“Carrying the power of the sun, it’s warm, comforting and energizing,” she emphasized.

Rose quartz, “a very feminine and loving stone” offering compassion and peace, is another one of the artist’s favorites.

“If someone’s mother has passed, it gives them self-love,” she said.

Druzy quartz, comprised of tiny quartz crystals that form on or inside other stones, is said to dissipate negative thoughts and emotions and is used for calming purposes, Fagan explained.

Photo by Brie Fagan
Magnesium- and titanium-coated
druzy is fashionable and practical.

“It’s such a pretty color. It reminds me of the ocean,” she said. “It makes me want to go swimming. It’s just soothing.”

Two different stones can offer combined energy and help charge each other, she added.

Most of Fagan’s jewelry is wrapped with silver-coated wire, but she plans to introduce another line made with real silver. She is currently taking a silversmithing class at Michele Grady Designs Teaching Studio in Medford.

“The wire-wrapped jewelry is affordable for people my age who waitress and are making their own living but still want to have jewelry that’s pretty and beachy,” said Fagan. “That’s how the whole thing kind of started for me, so I want to have both for people who can afford to buy the stones set in silver, and for girls in high school who just want something pretty to wear that’s different.

“I really do like the wire-wrap, but there are some things that I definitely would never wire-wrap. Some stones are just so pretty, and they deserve to be set in silver,” she explained.

The unique jewelry has quickly caught on with Fagan’s friends and family and other local customers. It can now be found at Viking Outfitters in Barnegat Light as well as Retro Fitness and Extreme Tanning in Manahawkin.

Fagan also takes custom orders so customers can get “exactly what they want.” Found sea glass or stones can be sent in for jewelry with a personal touch.

“That way it’s not just a rock sitting in a drawer. Now it’s something you can wear every day. I prefer to do that sometimes because it means something to them,” said Fagan.

Anyone interested in purchasing jewelry through the local resident’s Etsy shop will receive a 15 percent discount on the order when using “SandPaper” as the coupon code.

–Kelley Anne Essinger

This article was published in The SandPaper.