Fair Leia

Elena Volovelsky, the artist behind Fair Leia Jewelry, is one chill chick. She's one of those lucky ducks with a hawk's eye for sweet finds—you know the kind, a rare bird with a knack for finding that perfect pair of Victorian lace-up boots at the bottom of a thrift store bargain bin in minutes when you've spent hours sifting the riff-raff merch and come up empty handed. If you're fantasizing about recruiting Elena to be your new flea-market companion, you'll have to lure her away from the hustle and bustle of commerce. You'll likely find her blissed out among the sun dappled trees that surround her Brooklyn studio, where she dreams up pieces inspired by nature and fantasies of the halcyon days of yesteryear. But don't go thinking Elena's stuck in the past—this lady knows what year it is, and her jewelry shows it. Her designs marry thoroughly modern sensibilities with flights of fancy through times gone by to create contemporary pieces that reverberate with nostalgic charm. She's got a knack for anachronism, and you better believe this girl knows how to use it!

Elena's collection features a treasure trove of textural finishes, gold and sterling silver, rescued bits of old jewelry, antique lockets, and ancient engravings. And Elena's pieces aren't just a labor of up-cycled design. She creates each piece entirely by hand, infusing her work with heart and soul.  From the delicate drawings she scribbles on gold or silver to the intricate designs she painstakingly cuts with the smallest of metal piercing saws, Elena's passion for detail imbues her work with an aura that smacks of a certain, how do you say, je ne sais quoi.