Unique jewelry runs in the family

It was a hot, humid summer day in 2009 when Sarah Lou and her sister, Fran Nolan, were helping clean out their recently departed grandmother’s house. Hours into the labor of love, they ventured into their grandmother’s sewing room and made the discovery that changed their lives; hidden behind stacks of colorful calico fabric remnants was a virtual treasure trove of handmade jewelry.

Frances eagerly gathered the completed pieces and quickly became adept at replicating the intricate designs. Dozens of bracelets, necklaces, brooches, and earrings later, Frances turned her hobby into Lyrical Designs - a jewelry line of brightly-colored accessories designed to stand out. Sarah, well, Sarah was happy to help Frances with sales and look on in awe as Frances created custom statement pieces. She became a popular vendor at numerous vendor fairs and craft shows in the Central Iowa jewelry scene. She was able to turn her grandmother’s classic designs into modern fashion must-haves.

Sadly, Frances Nolan passed away quite unexpectedly on April 14, 2020. With her, the dream of Lyrical Designs passed away with her. Or did it? In July, 2021, Sarah was given a gift that would change the the jewelry landscape. One day box after box of beads, stones, and findings landed on her doorstep. Initially intending to give away the contents of the boxes, Sarah picked up a spool of wire, and some crystal beads…

Sarah represents the fifth generation of jewelry crafters in her family, she found out. And along the way, she noticed that her bold pieces were getting attention. But Sarah was not content to merely make mass jewelry the cheapest way possible. The global impact of costume jewelry is devastating. Plastic beads not only destroy animal life who mistake them for food, the chemicals from plastics leach into the soil and cause devastating contamination. That’s why Sarah’s jewelry line, Terre Vici, is dedicated to continually reducing its ecological impact.

Resins are almost never used; if they are it is because they are repurposed from other pieces to prolong their life and keep them out of landfills. Sarah only purchases natural beads, findings, stones, and semi-precious gems. She only works with distributors who ethically source their wares, and is always scouting better, cleaner sources for her supplies. A portion of every purchase also goes to organizations who fight pollution, environmental destruction, and climate change.

Terre Vici was launched in August, 2021, but it was over 100 years in the making.