I am delighted you stopped by!  Many people wonder about the name "Jewels of La Loba" so I'll  tell you the story.  In ancient cultures, wherever there were wolves, there were myths about them and about La Loba, woman of the wolves.  One of these myths was described in a wonderful book I read many years ago entitled, "Women Who Run with the Wolves."  There are many versions of the La Loba myth, each depicting various aspects of her ethereal persona.  The story I know, born in the Southwest deserts, is this.  La Loba is a woman who is wild and free, strong yet gentle.  She is not a wolf.  La Loba is wise and old yet somehow ageless.  She is keeper of the soul, guardian of creativity and protector of the spirit self.  She is there to remind you of what is real and of value.  La Loba travels through the desert gathering the bones she finds and sings over them to bring them back to life.  She collects and preserves what is in danger of being lost in the world ... a story of rejuvenation and promise and survival.

Stones, to me, are the bones of the earth.  As in the myth, I gather stones from the far corners of the world ....Brazil, Africa, Peru, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Turkey, Tibet, China, etc.   I put the stones together in new ways and with each neckpiece, I bring the stones back to life.  Each stone has a meaning....each neckpiece a song... and each is one-of-a-kind and forever unique.

I grew up in the Bay Area of Northern California and from early on was involved in the arts in some way - music, painting, drawing, sculpting, mask making and dance.  I went on to college at the University of California, Berkeley and then UC, Santa Barbara as an art major.  Instead of painting, drawing or sculpting as a career, however, I shifted direction and opened an interior design/architectural services firm.  After 30 years of design, while working in Alaska with my architect husband, a light bulb went off and I decided to totally change direction - yet again.  I had always loved large, dramatic jewelry but was constantly frustrated at not being able to find what I was envisioning in my head.  The choice was obvious: create my own! 

The La Loba myth seemed appropriate to identify what it was I wanted to do and since I was living in Alaska, it also seemed appropriate to use the Northwest Coast native wolf symbol as a logo (the use of which required permission from the Haida tribal elders which was graciously granted).  The rest is history! 

As with any new endeavor, the process involves a lot of trial and error but it truly has been fun and rewarding all along the way.  My pieces have appeared in galleries in Ketchikan, Sitka, Juneau, Anchorage and Fairbanks, Alaska; Carmel, Monterrey, and Walnut Creek, California;  Seattle, Washington and Zihuatanejo, Ixtapa and Playa del Carmen, Mexico.

I love working with the amazingly beautiful stones I find all over the world even though the vast array of colors, shapes and textures can be almost overwhelming.  It is my absolute pleasure to create the neckpieces you will see on the pages that follow and each piece you order arrives in a very special box wrapped in acid-free paper.  I am also always delighted to create a custom piece of a special design and in a favorite color that would bring you joy! 

Note:  Many of the pieces I create are fairly large and sometimes petite women think a large piece might be too much for them.  Not so..... because it's all about attitude!  If it makes you happy, wear it!

Enjoy this site and if you ever have any questions, please send me an email at:                                                                                            sandra@jewelsoflaloba.com