Our Story

A founder’s story of detailed craft, personal meaning, and a new beginning beyond Etsy

How it all began

For years, I sold my work on Etsy under the names LASKA Fine Jewelry and Love Mirror. I started with simple bezel-set rings, but every year I felt a new pull and a new direction I wanted to explore.
Eventually, the names no longer felt right. They didn’t reflect the craft or the growth that was happening, so I changed them. I was still discovering myself as a designer. My skills evolved, my taste shifted, and my vision became clearer.
Those early years shaped everything. I learned how people connect with jewelry. I learned what makes them pause, what memories they share, and what moments they celebrate. Many customers became repeat buyers. Many sent messages I still remember today.
As my designs became more intricate, more organic, and more rooted in nature and emotion, it became clear that the brand had outgrown its old shell.

Why I left Etsy

Etsy is a wonderful platform, but it is crowded and fast-paced, and it started to prioritize speed and mass production in recent years. My work was heading in a different direction. Slower, more intentional, and more focused on one-of-a-kind designs rather than repeatable pieces.
Little by little, I realized something important:
if I wanted to continue creating meaningful work, I needed my own space.
Leaving Etsy wasn’t easy. It meant stepping away from a marketplace that brought me thousands of wonderful customers. But it also meant letting go of limitations that no longer matched the work.
A handmade brand needs room to breathe. Room to share the process and the story behind each piece. Room to connect with customers directly, without an algorithm deciding who sees the work.
When our Etsy shop temporarily closed due to an address change, many loyal customers reached out, unsure where to find us. That moment made the decision clear. The brand needed a true home, one that felt like us.
We will keep our new Etsy shop for now, but it will no longer be our main home.

The birth of Gems & Flowers

The new name came from the two things that inspire me most:
* Gems: stones full of personality, color, and life.

* Flowers: organic, natural style that guides every curve we design.
Gems & Flowers is not a sudden change.
 It is the real identity of the brand finally being allowed to bloom.

The heart of the craft

Every piece begins with a feeling - a sense of texture, a color that stays in my mind, or the memory of a natural shape that caught my eye. It might stay with me for weeks before I finally make it a living piece.
When I do begin, it’s slow:
 hand-drawing, refining, checking curves, letting pieces rest, reshaping again. I never rush this part. Jewelry made fast feels fast. Jewelry made slowly feels different.
I choose stones one at a time, not for perfection but for character: a shift in tone, the way they catch light, or a small detail that gives them personality.
I’ve never wanted to create jewelry that feels mass produced. I want it to feel alive.

Over the years, people have written to say:

Jewelry isn’t just an accessory. It becomes part of someone’s story. Customers often tell me that when they open the box or wear the piece for the first time, it “feels” different.

“It feels personal.”

“It feels like it was made for me.”

“It reminds me of someone I love.”

“It feels different than other jewelry.”

Those messages stay with me and shape every new design.
 They are the quiet heartbeat of this brand.
 They shaped my decision to rebrand.
 They shaped the process and how we work today.

Challenges behind the transition

Building a new brand outside Etsy came with challenges:
 learning website systems, creating clearer workflows, rebuilding trust with customers who only knew us through Etsy, managing slow handmade production without the pressure of algorithms, and learning how to make the brand more present without losing its soul.
But every challenge pushed the brand closer to what it was always meant to be: small-batch, unique and deeply personal handmade jewelry.

Who is behind Gems & Flowers

Although I started it all by myself, Gems & Flowers isn’t a one-person story anymore.
I’m supported by a small, thoughtful team that helps with:
* 3D design production
* soldering, shaping, setting stones
* packaging and quality checks
They help carry the weight so I can stay focused on what I do best: design with my hands, my heart, and my full attention for my wonderful customers.

Thank you for being here

Whether you’ve followed us from Etsy, discovered us recently, or found us through someone you love, I’m grateful. Your support keeps the craft alive, keeps the studio running, and keeps handmade jewelry in this world.
This brand exists because people like you choose to support work made slowly, thoughtfully, and with heart.
Welcome to our next chapter.
 I’m so glad you’re here!

Lana,


Gems & Flowers