In this blog, we’re taking you behind the scenes of our collaboration with Becca — a creator whose story resonated deeply with Rebel’s philosophy. Together, we brought to life the Kintsugi: Beyond Measure charm and ring — a tribute to the beauty in imperfection and the strength found in healing.
What was your very first reaction when Rebel reached out to collaborate? What was the first thing you thought about when Marie Helena shared the idea?!
When Helena reached out, I was deep in the first stage of grief, just starting to process my split from my long term partner. Her first message to me was along the lines of “this might not be the best time, but I’d love to work on a piece with you.” It felt like a beacon of hope. I’d admired Rebel’s work for ages and even saved up to purchase a piece for my 20th anniversary of living in LA, so I knew the quality firsthand. During a New Years vision boarding session, I’d mentioned to close friends that I wanted to do a jewelry collaboration in 2025, but hadn’t even given it a second thought after the fires and the divorce. It felt like divine timing, and I was so excited to hear what she had in mind.
When she shared the idea in our first meeting, I practically finished her sentence for her. It was kismet. I’ve admired the art of Kintsugi for ages, and have found much comfort in the philosophy — that damage and imperfections don’t destroy a thing; with the right care, they make it stronger and more beautiful than it was to begin with; they become part of the story.
What part of the design process excited you the most?
Seeing the first renderings after we’d just been talking about the designs was so cool, but I really loved using those initial renderings as a launching pad to make tweaks. I wasn’t sure how to best convey my thoughts, so I made a mood board and Helena totally understood where I was coming from. Every step of the process felt more exciting as we inched towards the final product, but there was nothing like opening the boxes and seeing the finished pieces.
How would you describe the Kintsugi - Beyond Measure charm and ring in just three words?
Sleek. Impactful. Stackable.
What surprised you the most about the jewelry-making process?
How all the tweaks happen in the design phase, before you ever see a physical product. I’m used to working with clothing, where you get the design to a certain point and then make edits on a fit sample, so it feels like a much slower process to get to the end result. With jewelry, the first piece I held in my hand was the final version!
Was there a moment during the design phase when you thought, “Yes, this is it”?
When we nailed down the frame on the charm, it felt like something clicked. And I know it was past the design phase, but when Helena sent me a photo of the sample rings - just a simple phone pic taken in her yard to catch the sunlight - my heart skipped a beat.
During our first meeting, you mentioned you’re a visual person.
We shared drawings and CADs along the way—but what went through your mind when you finally saw the finished design come to life?
I’m a visual person in the sense that I need to be presented with visuals to imagine something because I have aphantasia — I can’t see pictures in my brain. Sharing the CADs was super helpful, as was presenting my own feedback in mood board form, but I really had to put a lot of trust in Helena in terms of how those images would translate into a physical product. Seeing the finished designs was SO exciting. The colors were even better than I hoped.
Enamel is an intricate work and Rebel tries to create stories through the colors and techniques. What was it like seeing the precision and craftsmanship that went into the details of this design?
I am so appreciative of the thought that went into every single detail, from the style and size of the bail, to the texture of the charm, to the precise mix of the enamel. I adore how detail-oriented Helena is and how well Rebel was able to bring our vision to life.
The Kintsugi philosophy is about embracing imperfection, gathering bits and pieces, repairing them, and moving forward. How does that idea connect to your own life?
How does it not connect to my life? As a recovering perfectionist, it’s taken me a good many years and a lot of therapy to understand that failing (and getting back up again) is not only part of the process, but essential to it. After my 13 year relationship ended earlier this year, I took a lot of solace in the idea of Kintsugi—that the parts of me that felt broken would indeed heal, and that I could move forward a stronger, more fully realized person.
In addition to the Kintsugi inspiration, we also discussed the stories told around mirrors, and specifically broken mirrors, in fairy tales and superstitions. Broken mirrors often symbolize bad luck and a shattered identity, and rarely is there an option for repair. But when viewed through the Kintsugi lens, one’s sense of self can absolutely be rebuilt after a painful blow, and the mirror pieced back together to represent that journey.
If these pieces could speak, what story would they tell?
A story of resilience, self compassion, and discovery, with a realization that they/we/you are powerful beyond measure.
Rebel’s aim is to create pieces for every chapter of life. Would you consider this charm a “new chapter” piece for you?
Absof*ckinglutely. This charm is a physical representation of moving on from the hardest year of my life. A year that, someday, I hope, I will look back on as transformative and essential to my story.
You’ve recently mentioned your divorce registry—can you share more about that and what inspired it?
When my almost-13 year relationship ended earlier this year, I was overwhelmed by the long list of things, big and small, that were suddenly missing from my life. On top of dealing with the emotional toll and the doubling of my living expenses, I needed to buy everything from a couch to a can opener. My community expressed a desire to help replace items, and it took about three months of prodding before I accepted and created a registry. I cried when someone sent me a drill, because it meant that I didn’t need to borrow my former partner’s anymore — more than a tool, it felt like a symbol of self-reliance. I am not great at accepting help, let alone asking for it, and allowing my community to show up for me in this way has been incredibly heartening.
Tell us more about green and purple!
I’ve always said my soul is a tree, and there is something about an earthy, mossy green that speaks to me. In addition to my own personal connection to the color, I think it makes a fantastic neutral that pairs well with a multitude of other colors and really makes the gold pop.
The purple is actually a funny story. We set out to do a lighter color enamel and were originally planning for something slightly more blueish-white, but the color had to be mixed custom. When the first run came out with a lilac hue, I immediately asked to keep it. Purple has been following me around since the divorce — it has been showing up in all places, in all tones, and after a lifetime of declaring myself “not a purple person,” I have accepted my fate. More than accepted, I am honestly pretty delighted by the ways it continues to appear. I love how the purple contrasts the green, the light contrasts the dark, the mother of pearl contrasts the matte, and the airiness contrasts the earthiness. I expected it to be pretty, but I didn’t expect to be reaching for it in my own stack the way I have.
What does “Beyond Measure” mean to you?
We are infinite beings, incapable of calculating our own capacity for love or compassion or creativity or resilience or growth. They, and we, are beyond measure.
Elevator pitch? We’re stronger than we think.
Do you remember your first piece of jewelry that felt truly meaningful to you?
My grandmother gifted me her opal cocktail ring when I was a teenager. I knew it was special even though it wasn’t my style, so I put it away and figured I’d make it into something more my vibe at some point down the line. In my 20s, I unearthed it from a jewelry box and wished I could go back in time to smack my teen self for even thinking about messing with the design. It remains a prized possession to this day, and is a feature of every single fancy outfit I’ve worn for the last two decades. The pieces I have from my grandmother inspired my fine jewelry journey and my desire to build a collection of my own future vintage.
Is jewelry more sentimental for you, a style statement, or a mix of both?
Jewelry is absolutely sentimental for me, but it’s not always a 1:1. I love pretty things and collecting jewelry that has specific relevance to my life, or using a piece to mark an important moment. I also recognize that many pieces that started out as style statements collect stories and sentimental value simply through repeated wear.
