Sometimes introductions are awkward. But we guarantee these introductions won’t be. We recently started representing two new jewelry artists at Sorrel Sky, and we want to be sure you get to know them and their designs. So here goes. Introducing Harlin Jones and Nayla Shami! We know you’ll be drawn to their work as it reflects what inspires and influences them … connecting us to pieces that are meaningful and enduring. Enjoy exploring these new collections online or in person at Sorrel Sky Gallery.
— HARLIN JONES —
An eclectic mix of styles and inspirations,
creating innovative and unique jewelry pieces.
Harlin Jones was founded by Australian designer, Sumer Sayan. Sumer started his international jewelry internship in Istanbul, Turkey in 1998. There, under the guidance of master jewelers, he was taught the fundamentals of handcrafting jewelry, which in Turkey, are passed down over generations. Over the next 12 months, he worked and studied as a bench jeweler, working with precious metals and gemstones. After completing his internship in Istanbul, Sumer returned to Sydney where he started a four-year jewelry design apprenticeship. It was during this time that his love and passion for design were born.
Five years into his working career as a fully qualified bench jeweler, Sumer’s itch to create led him to design and make small collections for himself. Receiving high praise and admiration for the uniqueness, originality, and quality craftsmanship of these pieces, Sumer, at the request of friends started creating pieces for others. The creation of these pieces, along with his travels and personal interests as inspiration helped Sumer in shaping and constantly evolving a style of his own.
“My surroundings have always played a big part in my work and the direction I take in designing. Certain places carry a certain energy, and I’ve always tried to tap into that.”
— Sumer Sayan
The creative freedom and satisfaction experienced making these pieces for friends led Sumer to start his own label, Harlin Jones in 2014. Since then, his work has been seen in publications such as Vogue; Russh; Marie Claire; Maxim; and Inked Magazine; worn by stars such as Charlie Sheen; the Madden brothers of the punk band Good Charlotte. Sumer was also commissioned by Nicole Kidman to create a bespoke piece for her husband, Keith Urban.
— NAYLA SHAMI —
Triggering emotions through the art of jewelry craftsmanship.
Notably singular.
Born and raised on the shores of the Mediterranean in Beirut, Lebanon, Nayla Shami practiced law before moving to the high plains of West Texas with her husband to begin her family and start her jewelry business.
The clear blue water of the Mediterranean, and the cool palette of its beaches, are evident in each unique, hand-wrought piece of Nayla’s jewelry. Nayla thinks primarily of the Mediterranean and the sun that makes it sparkle like a gem as she chooses many of her precious and semi-precious stones. Her pieces combine the blue skies, wide-open spaces, and stunning sunsets of West Texas with those formative, artistic influences of her Mediterranean heritage.
One of these cultural influences is how jewelry is often gifted from one generation to the next, either a piece from within the family or a new piece. These gifted pieces tell a story. Nayla’s hope is that her pieces become part of those gifting traditions, adding to each family’s story.
“My designs are born out of happy memories of special events, of travel, of time spent with family and friends. I never know what is going to inspire me.”
— Nayla Shami
SORREL SKY GALLERY 