Greetings!
Hello! ¡Hola! Salut! Haai! Merhaba! Jambo! Ciao! Shalom! Olá! Namaste! Halló! Nĭ Hăo! Halò! Guten Tag! Oi! Dia Dhuit! Sawubona! Yá'át'ééh! Marhaba!
Hello and thank you so much for stopping by! I am Bella Morena, owner of ¡Ay, Qué Bella! (Oh, How Beautiful!), an online shop with new-to-you jewelry and gifts. I specialize in vintage, heirloom, and unique pieces. Some are silver, some are gold, some are metal, some are more global and ethnic than others, but all are very meaningful and very beautiful. My not-so-secret hope is to be a bridge and share them with you.
LOVE & PASSION
My shop was born from my spirit of global harmony and my passions for travel and education. I have been traveling the world since I was six years old and travel lives within my soul. I am restless if I am stationary for too long. You know that giddy feeling you get in the pit of your stomach when your eyes lock on to something or someone and you have that instant attraction? Well instantaneously, I fell head-over-heels in love with people, culture, ethnicity, history, language, and learning. When I travel, I speak to local people to learn about them, their history, their culture, and who they are. I avoid tour guides and tourist traps and venture out to engage with the real people where they are. And instead of leaving with typical tourist souvenirs like postcards and refrigerator magnets, I buy vintage, artisan, culturally significant, and unique pieces of jewelry. The jewelry reminds me much more deeply of who I met, what I learned, and what I experienced during my trip.
YOU NEVER FORGET YOUR FIRST TIME
The first piece I ever bought was a handmade, charm bracelet from Colombia with raw emeralds and pre-Columbian deities. “¡Ay, qué bella!” (“Oh, how beautiful!”) is probably what I thought when I saw that bracelet lying there so delicately on a piece of indigenous fabric on a wooden table in a colorful, open-air market in Cali. As true love never dies, to this day, that piece still takes my breath away. From that single bracelet, my collection (or “obsession” if you ask my husband) with beautiful, ethnic and global jewelry was born.
During lean times when I was unable to travel myself, but I knew someone else who was traveling somewhere wonderful, I’d ask him or her to pick out a piece of jewelry that they’d love for me. To my delight, this has led to many gorgeous finds too. My family and friends have great taste! Back at home, I also make great discoveries at antique shops and fairs, estate sales, and ethnic arts and crafts exhibits. Living in South Florida is fantastic for finding great vintage jewelry. We have all the advantages of being in the South with an African-American, Latino, Native American, European, Asian, Indian, and Caribbean influence all around us. All of my finds are hand-picked treasures and I so am grateful for the opportunity to share them with you.
VISIT MY ETSY SHOP & BROWSE A WHILE
Like you, I am not one-dimensional and I am enchanted by jewelry pieces that are also not one-dimensional like a perfume pendant which looks stunningly beautiful, but is also incredibly functional for secretly stashing a fragrance, or a pendant brooch that can be worn as a show-stopping piece by itself or dangle ever so slightly from a beloved necklace. I also love love and beauty, so when I discover jewelry that evokes those warm, cozy feelings of romance in my inner song, or is simply beautiful to look at, I have to have it. Other pieces I have found touch me very deeply and personally, for example, I have an extensive collection of pieces relating to God and symbols of motherhood, fertility and adoption.
Every piece in my shop has a story. I hope you like what you see and if you do, I’d absolutely love to hear from you!
ABOUT VINTAGE JEWELRY
Please note that all items sold in my shop are vintage which means that they were pre-loved and pre-owned. Some pieces have a natural, aged patina and, as it is a matter of personal taste, I preserve the rich, vintage finish and do not polish or clean them in any way. Some pieces have some aging and some wear like a bit of tarnish, a few scratches or nicks, or maybe some are missing a bit of enamel. Vintage pieces are sentimental pieces and are not usually shiny and new. I do my very best to take very accurate photographs and to describe the as-is condition and finish of each piece.
You are always welcome to contact me with any and all questions you may have. Thanks again!
Love One Another ~ Bella Morena
