Clay Chronicles: JILZARAH’s bracelets mark memories
The inspiration behind JILZARAH began back in the late ’90s when Jill Manzara, creative director and co-founder of the company, first discovered clay beads.
“While I didn’t invent the concept, I created my own unique version,” Manzara said. “I spent many years in the arts and crafts world, selling clay beaded jewelry through my first company, Viva Beads, which I co-founded.”
In 2004, Viva Beads was introduced to the wholesale market and was an immediate hit, Manzara said. In 2010, Manzara sold her interest in the company to build a new brand focused on elevating clay jewelry to the next level, which led to launching JILZARAH in 2012 with CEO and co-founder Rafael Manzara.
“Over the years, we’ve expanded our fashion jewelry line to include gifts and souvenirs, with the introduction of our People We Love Collections and Places We Love Collections,” she said.
Today, JILZARAH continues to evolve and now puts as much artistic effort into packaging as the jewelry.
“This allows us to create products with much more depth and sentiment,” she said. “Many items have packaging that includes a story and sentiment connecting the beads to the meaning of the bracelet. It’s opening up so many new possibilities for creative products.”
CONNECTING PEOPLE AND PLACES
JILZARAH aims to create artisan-driven, storytelling products that connect people to the facets of their lives that matter most: the people they love, the places they love, the faith in their heart and the memories they cherish.
“Our product is challenging to make but incredibly special,” Manzara said. “Each bead is a true piece of art.”
Each bead pattern is designed in-house and then meticulously replicated by JILZARAH’s overseas artisans that replicate the patterns through a layering process to create clay cane. The cane starts large and is rolled down to match the desired bead diameter. The clay is then sliced and wrapped around a central clay bead, skewered and baked in low-temperature ovens. Once baked, the beads are washed, buffed and assembled into bracelets, which are then applied to JILZARAH’s custom-designed header cards.
To connect people and places, JILZARAH creates bracelets for different locations, including “My Trip to the Zoo” and “My Trip to the Aquarium” kids’ bracelets.
These bracelets are designed with header card art and handmade clay beads featuring zoo and aquatic animals. Each bracelet includes a medallion charm inscribed with “My Trip to the Zoo” or “My Trip to the Aquarium,” making it a cherished wearable piece that serves as a reminder of their special adventure for an animal enthusiast.
“JILZARAH offers products that resonate deeply with customers,” Manzara said. “Our bracelets are not just accessories; they have storytelling depth that enhances a visitor’s connection to the memories of their day spent at the zoo or aquarium.”
