About Us | SUBLIMA Jewelry
Meet the Maker
I love writing, too, which is why I spent eight years of my career as a journalist after graduating from Yale, where I majored in English. I was a reporter at Bloomberg News for eight years, and while financial news journalism was exciting and challenging, I missed the creative arts as a major part of my life. I started spending my free time making, and the intentional lifestyle switch brought me a lot of fulfillment, so much that I wanted to transform my pastimes into something more.
I pursued more technical skills and learned metal smithing and wax carving, which is how I handcraft the pieces in this collection. Jewelry helped me discover my creative conviction; I cherish having an idea that I can't wait to create, and how rewarding it is to transform concepts into beautiful, tangible forms that communicate the intangible: One’s tastes and intentions for self-expression.
SUBLIMA references subliminal messages that produce hidden feelings; I love that interesting, artful objects can move us in mysterious ways. The chance that my jewelry sparks that in anyone makes me supremely happy.
About SUBLIMA
SUBLIMA is my brand of artful and sustainable jewelry that I hand make in New York. I create the jewelry by carving wax prototypes, which are molded and casted into recycled brass and sterling silver.
The jewelry draws inspiration from well-loved objects in our everyday to visceral memories, and many of the pieces celebrate Asian heritage and culture.
Also at the heart of SUBLIMA is giving back; since 2020, SUBLIMA has donated more than $65,000 to nonprofits supporting NYC's Chinatowns, after-school programming, affordable housing and food security.
Artful and Sustainable Jewelry
I aim to make wearable pieces of art that last a lifetime. The jewelry is handmade in New York — I carve wax to create the prototypes, essentially making little wax sculptures, then mold and cast them into metal using recycled brass and recycled sterling silver. Learn about the climate impact of using recycled vs. mined metals.
The casted pieces are 100% of the metals used (they're not plated, because plating wears away over time). Then they’re polished and assembled by hand. Each piece comes with a complimentary polishing cloth, which can be used to keep the jewelry shiny.
Read more about the recycled and quality metals that I use and jewelry care. I use these materials and offer free shipping because I believe iconic jewelry should be sustainable and accessible. If the aesthetic draws you in, I still want you feeling good about everything else.
Giving Back
Just as important as creating striking and sustainable jewelry that will last a lifetime is the closely-held value of giving back to support important causes.
2020 Donations
SUBLIMA donated more than $31,000 to five Chinatown organizations (Welcome to Chinatown, Send Chinatown Love, Think!Chinatown, Heart of Dinner and Chinese American Planning Council) to support Chinatown’s merchants, feeding residents and safeguarding communities at risk from decreased foot traffic, accelerating gentrification and rising anti-Asian racism. Learn more about the Chinatown donations campaign in AsAmNews.
SUBLIMA also donated all June proceeds to the Equal Justice Initiative, a non-profit dedicated to criminal justice reform, racial justice and public education, and all April proceeds to Feeding America's COVID-19 Response Fund, to help support food banks serving the most vulnerable communities across the country.
2021 Donations
SUBLIMA donated $25,000 to five nonprofits supporting the Asian American and Chinatown communities (Asian American Federation, Charles B. Wang Community Health Center, Asian Americans for Equality, Think!Chinatown and Immigrant Social Services) to support underserved children, the homeless and those in need of affordable housing, restaurants, businesses and residents of Chinatown, patients in need of affordable healthcare and smaller nonprofits serving the New York Asian American community.
2022 Donations
SUBLIMA partnered with Run for Chinatown, an organization and running community that fundraises for New York Chinatown's residents and businesses, by making the Run for Chinatown x SUBLIMA 跑 “Run” Pendant Necklace. 100% of its net proceeds are donated on an ongoing basis to A Place For Kids, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1971, which provides quality cultural enrichment through low-cost after-school programming for children of new immigrants and low-income families in lower Manhattan.
SUBLIMA also partnered with Welcome to Chinatown to create a custom Chinese Dragon Signet Ring for Asian Pacific American Heritage Month in May, and donated 100% of net proceeds to the nonprofit that month.
SUBLIMA also made a $3,205 donation to Welcome to Chinatown by donating a portion of net proceeds from sales at the Welcome to Chinatown 88 East Fair.
2023 Donations
SUBLIMA donated $3,854 to Welcome to Chinatown by donating a portion of net proceeds from sales at the Welcome to Chinatown Lunar New Year Fair, bringing SUBLIMA's lifetime donations to Welcome to Chinatown to more than $20,000.
Seen In
New York Times Style Magazine, T Magazine
New York Magazine's The Strategist
BuzzFeed's Asian-Owned Fashion and Accessory Brands
BuzzFeed's Boba Goodies from Asian Small Businesses
BuzzFeed's Lunar New Year Products from API Businesses
Get in Touch
Have a question or wanna say hi? Contact me via Instagram direct message at @sublimajewelry or email at hey@sublimajewelry.com — I'd love to hear from you.