In conversation with Editor-At-Large Jamie Rosen.
Beth Hutchens, creative director and founder of jewelry line FoundRae, sleeps in her earrings (all 11 of them) as well as three necklaces, multiple rings for each finger and stacks of bracelets, so it’s no surprise that her work has become a part of her. But even clients that don’t spend 24 hours a day wearing FoundRae have made a lasting bond with pieces intended to go beyond mere adornment. “The entire collection is based on the idea that we are all connected by the light within, a golden thread that binds us ” she says. “Our goal is how to grow that aspect of ourselves and how to see it in others and let it be a larger part of our lives.”
A strong spiritual connection with herself and the world around her was instilled in Hutchens from an early age. “I grew up Quaker and I was taught that we can access this living energy and that we really can have autonomy over our lives, making choices that allow us to self-actualize and become the person that we were intended to be.”
At FoundRae, each piece ties to an aspect of who you are—be it an astrological sign, significant numbers or letters, or symbols and tenets that represent something you want to remember about yourself or where you’re headed next. “We’re trying to get people to put together a unique story that is really a combination of their core values as well as things that they feel are works in progress,” she says. These reminders come in the form of medallions and charms made in gold, enamel and diamonds, from an Cigar Band ring that represents an internal compass with letters to represent North, East, South and West; to different forms of love expressed with hearts, knots and even a bunny to represent a passage from “the Velveteen Rabbit.” “It really ends up becoming kind of a second skin for people and part of their identity,” she says. ” And it allows them to have more substantive conversations because people will ask them, ‘What does that mean?’ And you end up really talking about things that are actually meaningful for you.”
The intent is not just to engage acquaintances but to keep stories alive for those who come after us. “We refer to the pieces as modern heirlooms because we want the next generation to ask, ‘Why did you choose [a piece that represents] resilience or ‘What does true love mean to you?’ I want those questions to be asked, and for people to remember.”
Discover + Shop FoundRae at our Dallas Gallery