Buying locally when it comes to jewelry is something that we all strive to do — especially with pieces that have good energy. Blooming Lotus Jewelry, founded in Hoboken by a local resident, is a great local brand selling an intentional line of handmade jewelry with a Bohemian vibe. According to founder Jennifer Ciraulo, a former pediatric occupational therapist, each piece includes an added measure of meaning with an organic perfectly-imperfect feel. Keep reading to learn more about this local jewelry line and the genius behind the beautiful items at Blooming Lotus Jewelry — along with an exclusive offer for Hoboken Girl readers.
From Therapy to Jewelry
The online-only shop sells an array of jewelry including earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and rings made with sustainable recycled metals and meaningful gemstones sourced from all over the world. Local maker Jennifer Ciraulo works out of her studio in the Monroe Center in addition to a studio space in her home, using techniques including hand-stamping, metalsmithing, and wax carving to create her items which are sold exclusively online. She opened Blooming Lotus Jewelry in 2010 while working full-time as a pediatric Occupational Therapist.
“I never planned on being a jewelry designer or owning my own business. Little did I know that the small steps and decisions I was making turned out to be seeds I was planting for a new career path. My career as an OT overlapped for approximately three years until I decided to take the plunge full-time,” Jennifer told Hoboken Girl.
“The tipping point was when I was approached by Wanderlust Festival, the largest yoga festival in the world, in 2012 to partner with them and make 3,000 wrist malas for their highest tiered ticket holders. That summer of 2012 put me on the map in the wellness and yoga community and changed my business dramatically to the point where I thought to myself, ‘I can make something out of this!’ I spent one year part-time as an OT before resigning and taking Blooming Lotus Jewelry on full-time.”
On Being Her Own Boss
Working as a one-woman show, Jennifer manages the daily operations of Blooming Lotus, but it’s one aspect of the business she would like to change — by adding to her team.
“I’m currently a one-woman business, however, this needs to change soon. Wearing so many different hats is not easy. I always find it amusing when I get emails asking to be connected with the head of marketing or something like that,” Jennifer laughed.
While overseeing every piece of the business has its challenges, the value of working for yourself and having full creative direction is hard to beat.
“I absolutely love designing unique pieces of jewelry and bringing an idea to life,” she noted. “Tapping into my creative side is so much fun. To create something with my own two hands and then have someone email me that I helped them through the most difficult time in their life {or happiest}, makes my heart swell.”
It seems that her pieces definitely bring out the best of people. “The emails I’ve received over the years from customers have made me both laugh and cry,” she reflected, fondly. “The stories people share with me of how my jewelry has given them strength keeps me coming back to my jeweler’s bench to create more and more.”
Connection and Intention Through Jewelry
Blooming Lotus focuses on connection, intention, support, and sentiment. The mission is to connect with each customer, in more ways than one, through the jewelry.
“It’s more than jewelry, it’s a feeling. Jewelry can serve as a talisman to carry you through the celebrations and adversities in life. In our hyper-connected world, we are probably the most disconnected. It’s crazy but true,” Jennifer said. “Wearing your mantra, a meaningful gemstone, or a meaningful symbol can serve as a touchstone to bring you back to the present moment, invite feelings of positivity and joy, and to remind you of where your heart longs to be.”
A Sustainable Future
Over the past year, Blooming Lotus has incorporated more sustainable practices including using recycled materials. The hand-carved pieces are first carved in wax and then cast into recycled sterling silver and solid 14k gold. All rings, stud earrings, and most pendants sold on Blooming Lotus’ website are made with recycled materials. Jennifer has been dabbling in stone-setting, so stay tuned for new pieces in her shop, as she plans to continue the journey towards sustainability including using ethically sourced stones.
Connecting to Customers, Jewelers + the Community
Helping and connecting with others has always been a priority for Jennifer, which led her to her career as an Occupational Therapist with children with special needs. While she no longer works with children, her focus on helping others is still alive through the meaningful jewelry she creates.
“Designing, creating, connecting with customers and other designers, and sourcing stones at gem shows is so much fun. There’s definitely a lot of jewelry out there but meaningful, sustainable, hand-made, high-quality jewelry, is hard to come by,” Jennifer told Hoboken Girl.
Most Popular Collections + Pieces
The most popular collection from Blooming Lotus is the Luna Collection. The moon is a symbol of feminine energy and manifestation. Whether it’s the crescent, full, or new moon that you wear, it will support you on your journey of renewal, letting go, and manifesting an abundant life. Each piece is hand-carved and made from recycled sterling silver and solid 14k gold.
The “It’s Just a Phase” necklace has been in high demand recently, given the craziness everyone has experienced over the past year. This necklace features hand-stamped moon phases to remind the wearer that just like the moon, we all go through phases.
When it comes to rings, the Skinny Olive Branch Ring takes the cake. This popular piece is a reminder to be kind and gentle to yourself and those around you. The Moon and Star Studs are the best-selling earrings, available in both silver and gold.
Exclusive Offer: Our lucky Hoboken girl readers can use code HOBOKENGIRL for 20% off your purchase. This includes solid 14k gold which is usually excluded from sales.
All items are available for purchase online at bloominglotusjewelry.com or you can reach out to Jennifer via email at jennifer@bloominglotusjewelry.com with questions.
