Part of the Tamar Collection Studio Stories

I'm Andrea Li, a handmade gemstone jewelry designer creating one-of-a-kind pieces from my studio in Denver, Colorado. Each piece I make takes me on what I call a "micro-journey", a unique creative path that can never be exactly replicated. This is the story of how the Pink Kunzite Gemstone Choker Necklace from my Tamar Collection came to life.

As an artist, the winds that fill my sails are never trend-driven. They're never intended to be the perfect market fit for a well-researched demographic.

I hope to win hearts, but first they must speak to mine.

Kunzite statement choker necklace with a sculptural gold collar and a clustered mix of pastel gemstones, featuring a large pale pink teardrop kunzite drop on a violet background.

Born from Pure Imagination

This Pink Kunzite Choker is one of those rare creations, born from unfiltered imagination, forged without rules, and shaped not by commercial goals, but by pure artistic instinct.

I set out to create a choker unlike anything I had ever made before. Something sculptural. Something untethered. I allowed myself to bend and build without questioning the outcome, exploring each gemstone placement and curve in metal as they emerged.

And let me tell you, it wasn't easy.

The Micro-Journey: Pushing Technical Boundaries

The shapes I envisioned challenged the limits of my soldering experience. Curved forms that needed to connect at precise angles. Wire structures that had to be strong enough to support gemstone weight yet delicate enough to maintain visual lightness.

This process took approximately two and a half weeks of intense fabrication work. I had to master new soldering techniques to join the curved golden elements without melting the delicate wire forms. Each joint required perfect timing, too much heat and the structure would collapse; too little and the connection would be weak.

But that tension, that push against my technical boundaries, was part of the process. In fact, it was the point.

This choker became a meditation on what's possible when you stop designing for "will this sell?" and start creating for the soul. This is the heart of my Signature Collection pieces.

Sculptural gold wire choker in progress, each with a pale pink teardrop gemstone and a clustered mix of pastel stones and pearls, photographed on a jewelry workbench surrounded by trays of loose gemstones.

When the Piece Asks for More

I nearly stopped at the frame. It was bold enough on its own, a sculptural golden structure that could have stood alone as a statement piece.

But then I saw them: two pink kunzite pendants I had set aside from a previous sourcing trip to Tucson. Elongated cushion-cut stones with exceptional clarity and that signature peachy-pink glow that only kunzite possesses.

They felt destined for the twin teardrop shapes I had soldered into the frame.

And the piece asked for more.

So I answered with a flourish of my signature gemstone clustering, a chorus of color and texture featuring rose quartz, pink tourmaline, and additional kunzite accents. This created visual rhythm and brought the necklace into full, expressive resolution.

The result is something alive with grace, imagination, and human potential.

It's not just jewelry. It's the opposite of mass production. It's a quiet rebellion, made wearable.

Technical Details

Materials: Cushion-cut pink kunzite pendants, rose quartz, pink tourmaline, kunzite accents, 14k gold-filled wire, and findings
Technique: Advanced curved-form soldering with sculptural wire framework, signature gemstone clustering
Construction: Sculptural golden frame with integrated teardrop elements and cascading gemstone clusters
Design Time: Approximately 2.5 weeks from concept to completion
Collection: Tamar Collection (Signature Collection piece)
Status: One-of-a-kind (sold)

The Light-Holding Stone

Kunzite is more than beautiful; it's luminous in the most unexpected way.

Some kunzite gemstones possess a rare property called phosphorescence. Under ultraviolet light, they absorb energy and glow in vivid shades of yellow, red, or orange. And in certain specimens, this glow doesn't fade right away; it lingers. The gem continues to emit a soft, phosphorescent light long after the UV source has disappeared.

That's why kunzite is often called a "memory stone."

It quietly absorbs invisible light and releases it slowly over time, just like us. We take in moments, emotions, and beauty, and reflect them back when the time feels right.

But kunzite has a vulnerability, too. It's pleochroic, meaning it displays different colors when viewed from different angles, pink from one direction, violet from another, sometimes even colorless. And it's photosensitive: prolonged exposure to sunlight can cause its color to fade.

This delicate nature makes kunzite a gemstone of intention. It requires care, awareness, and protective storage. It can't be worn carelessly.

In this choker, kunzite isn't just a gem. It's a metaphor for experience, reflection, and inner radiance that endures, even in the dark. And a reminder that the most beautiful things often require the most mindful care.

Infographic titled “The Light-Holding Stone” explaining kunzite’s phosphorescent glow (natural light → UV excitation → afterglow), with “memory stone” messaging and a photo of an Andrea Li kunzite choker on a navy-and-gold design.

Why This Piece Matters

This necklace represents what I value most as an artist: creative freedom without commercial compromise.

As a one-of-a-kind jewelry designer, I don't work from trend forecasts or focus groups. Each piece is an exploration of what's possible when I follow artistic instinct rather than market demand.

The person who owns this choker is the only person in the world who possesses this exact piece—born from these specific pink kunzite stones, this particular sculptural vision, and this unique moment of creative fearlessness in my studio.

That's the value of handmade, artist-made jewelry: singular vision, singular execution, singular ownership.