When I started Best of Me, the first question wasn't what to make. It was what to make it from.
That decision shapes everything — how a piece looks after a year, whether it irritates your skin, how it holds up against your actual life. I ruled out a lot before I landed on what I use now.
PVD-Coated Stainless Steel
Most jewelry hardware is gold-plated. The plating wears. You know the green ring it leaves behind.
PVD (Physical Vapour Deposition) is different. The finish is bonded at a molecular level — it doesn't sit on top of the metal, it becomes part of it. The result is hardware that's genuinely tarnish-resistant, water-resistant, and safe for sensitive skin.
It costs more than standard plating. I use it anyway, because a piece that holds up for years is the whole point.
(You'll find PVD hardware on every piece in the Prism Collection and Botanique Collection.)
Premium Glass Beads
I use Japanese and Czech glass beads — two of the most respected sources in the world for precision and consistency. The difference is visible. The colour is even, the finish is stable, and the weight feels right on the wrist.
I could use cheaper beads. The pieces would look similar in a photo. They wouldn't feel the same in person, and they wouldn't age the same way.
See the Prism Collection — where the glass does the talking.
The Thread
The stringing material matters as much as the beads. I use a professional-grade braided thread — strong, resistant to abrasion, and it doesn't stretch over time. It's what keeps a bracelet staying the shape it was made in.
Why this combination.
PVD stainless steel. Japanese and Czech glass. Professional-grade thread. Each one is the considered choice over the cheaper alternative. Together they make jewelry that's worth keeping — not replacing every season.
That's what I'm making in BC, Canada, one piece at a time.
Browse the current collection at bestofmejewelry.com