Meaningful Jewelry
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Our design philosophy passionately incorporates different levels of meaning. In a fundamental level, we want all the phases of creating an Irthly Jewelled Adornment to have a deep connection to David Alvarado's philosophical underpinnings and his input on contemporary issues. The inspiration, concept, materials, design, and fabrication phases all must present meaning in some substantial extent. Along with the meaningful sentiments that naturally arise from receiving a gift; and the innate subjective meaningful interpretation of any art, the proud owner of an Irthly piece can resonate to the jewelry in multiple levels of connection and build an experiential bond that is irreplaceable.
In the inspiration phase, we want to present cases where certain notions of preciousness can be reassessed. For example, in the Classics and Art D'Eco Collections, Alvarado wants to present the preciousness of birth and creation as precious. Before a single design is drawn or conceptualized, we strive to have the intent to present meaningful contemporary cases for discussion.
Once we have meaning in our intent, we strive to develop other different layers of meaning in the concepts we will present through our primary material at focus. We carefully prepare and select materials that will properly show meaning through the symbolism it will project. By using the seed as the focal material in the Classics and Art D'Eco collection, for example, we demonstrate how the seed can be used to symbolize the preciousness of: parenthood, opulence (as opposed to rarity), eco-consciousness, seeds in general (as opposed to GMO), and life in general. All these elements we feel are coherently expressed in the focal material and are deeply meaningful.
In the design phase, there are other, distinct notions of meaning that we try to share. In the design phase, we share meaningful messages that Alvarado advocates. The Return Series and Return Sans Series, for example, calls for grounding inspired by the philosophy of Laozi. In the Terminals Series, we want to convey that the middle ground in ostensive points--the space between the terminals--are more valuable than the points themselves. Alvarado also passionately champions the notion of a dialectic of opposites and he designs in such fashion. He would play with the dialectic of emptiness and fullness, upwards and downwards, precious and opulent, beginning and ending, etc., as seen on most of his Classics and Irthly Sans Collections. Alvarado believes that a dialectic of opposites creates harmony and such harmony would extend outward to the proud owner of an Irthly piece and whomever might have the privilege of seeing it.
In selecting focal or highlight materials like color accents or center gemstones, Alvarado also assesses the metaphysical properties and healing energy of gemstones and metals. For example, in the Frame Sans Earrings, very rare blue moonstones are used to enhance his theme of the value of a strong frame-of-mind. Like any frame, moonstones are said to enhance the capacity to receive. Moonstones emit an emotionally intuitive feminine energy that brings healing to the hearts; brings joy, self-confidence, warmth, tolerance, surrender, and happiness. So combining the metaphysical significance of the moonstones and the design intention of frames, Alvarado enriches the value of a strong frame-of-mind that strengthen hearts through its ability to receive and absorb.
Even in the fabrication level, Alvarado insists, wherever applicable, to continue the dialectic of opposites to create jewelry with old school methodology and new school technology. But that is not the only significance in the fabrication phase. Meaningful considerations are applied when we fabricate the jewelry. Fair trade and fair labor practices are enforced as much as possible. We use recycled gold in most of our items. We manufacture everything in Los Angeles to support our local and national economy. So meaning is also layered in our fabrication stage.
Lastly, post-production considerations are also meaningful. It is our mission to provide portions of our profits to charitable institutions that we feel strongly about. Founder David Alvarado, a future teacher of philosophy for children, feels strongly about presenting more philosophical meaningful conversations to children in schools. No matter your religious, spiritual, or philosophical background, allowing kids to raise deep questions of life, and learning how to cherish and admire those questions is important to him. So he wishes to contribute to that effort by donating to several organizations that promote philosophy and more profound education to children. We are proud and honored to announce that we are officially donating proceeds of our profit to our first institution: UW Center for the Philosophy for Children. Our next institution we plan to support is P4C (Philosophy for Children at the University of Hawaii).
Multiple dimensions of meaning have been carefully implemented in all of our jewelled adornments. From the inspiration phase to the after-fabrication phase, our mission is to provide meaning at every level. Along with the meaningful sentiments that naturally arise from receiving a gift; and the innate subjective meaningful interpretation of any art, the proud owner of an Irthly piece can resonate to the jewelry in multiple levels of connection and build an experiential bond that is irreplaceable.
