Our Story

It was my own Aladdin’s cave. My Abuelita Aurora would give me that special look in her eye and I knew she was about to open up the large old freestanding safe. Her bracelets would jangle as she carefully turned the dials this way and that. Once opened it was a treasure trove, filled with black velvet trays of every kind of jewelry. “Go on,” she would say, “try on your favoritas.” She and my grandfather were jewelers and she had amassed a spectacular collection. Trying on the rings, the bracelets, the necklaces, I would mix and match several at a time while she told me the story of each. From her tutelage I learned everything I know about jewelry - what to look for, as well as the meaning and energy of the stones.

Aurora was a true matriarch of the family and had a wonderful spirit full of humor and grace. I learned my sense of style from her, and today I confidently embrace color and mix and match jewelry pieces in my signature layered way just as I did as a little girl sitting in front of her safe. It is by layering different pieces that I express my personality, and I love helping my friends and loved ones experiment and create something unique to them that conveys who they are as well. I hand-make all of my jewelry pieces with this in mind, so that the wearer will bring something of themselves to the piece and blend it in with other things to tell their story.

I have been fortunate to travel the world and experience different cultures, local designs inspired by different ways of living, and meeting so many interesting and wonderful people. It is the journey not just the destination that makes travel so rewarding. The inspiration for my jewelry designs is directly traced to these encounters, and the inception of a design idea can come from anything, like the scrollwork in a gate, a pattern in tile floor, the color of a tropical sea, or the sunshine shimmer of silk from a sari.

From this passion I created STELLA☆VICINA, my collection of handmade jewelry using stones that provide protection and good luck. The name means “nearby star” in Italian. But it also has a personal meaning for me, as it refers to my late sister Sharon who is my Nearby☆Star, looking down on us from the heavens, providing me and my family with her love and guidance.

From my heart to yours,
Gisele Buzali
Founder & Designer
STELLA☆VICINA