More than just pretty designs, the jewelry from Sacred Jewelry and Yoga Designs is created with a more holistic purpose.  Each piece incorporates gemstones and emblems to help inspire, heal and encourage us in our everyday lives.  Here, artist Yol Swan talks to us more about her jewelry collections.

What are your favorite materials to work with?

Definitely silver, copper, and gemstones. I really enjoy working with Precious Metal Clay and also pounding metal wire. I have been a collage artist for years and metal clay allows me to create silver and copper collages as a form of wearable art, where I can blend symbols and design concepts, and experiment with different textures and patinas (or paints) to add color and contrast. I also love the energy of gemstones, so I like to combine them for both their healing properties and colors.

What is your favorite design, and is this your best seller?

My favorite design is a metal collage that combines mystic symbols and ethnic textures in pure silver. Most of my designs are one-of-a-kind and I don't usually repeat them (with a few exceptions), so I keep for myself the ones that I simply cannot let go of! I submit them to contests and such, and sometimes I am asked to create similar designs for people who see them. I am sure they can perceive how much love and energy goes into those designs. My best sellers are usually gemstone jewelry designs, especially the chakra jewelry and the yoga jewelry collections.

How did you first get into jewelry art in general?

Many years ago, a friend of mine who was a silversmith asked me to design a jewelry collection for her, so I did. I created the designs on paper, and she made the actual jewelry. I had a couple more projects like that one and they did spark an interest, but I wasn't ready to become a jewelry designer back then. However, I always had a fascination with gemstones, so I would play with them, combining energies and colors in necklaces for myself. Slowly but surely one thing led to another, I started selling them, and I was hooked. I found myself creating more and more designs. Later on, my search for the perfect pendant lead me to metal clay and I truly think that it was this material what really helped me focus my work and find my style as a jewelry designer, because its versatility allowed me to create what I had in my head without relying on someone else's designs to finish a piece.

Can you tell us more about the themes that run through your jewelry?

Most of the themes that run through my jewelry are symbolic and have to do with my exploration of the mind, including the subconscious and dream world, and also with my spiritual journey, which has been influenced by the Buddhist and Hindu traditions. I love ethnic cultures, too, so I like to combine symbols with ethnic and modern design.

Find out more about Sacred Jewelery and Yoga Designs at http://www.sacred-jewelry.com/ or read their blog at http://sacredjewelry.wordpress.com