Definition: aroha (Maori) ; love, compassion, affection
If you would like to know more about the magical fusion of jewels, glass and silver that goes into creating Aroha Jewels, read on...
Gemstones I love gemstones. It is amazing that something so 
beautiful can be natural, so I prefer to keep them that way. All the gemstones I use are the real thing - that is, plucked from the earth, polished and drilled! Some gemstones are treated; Amethyst is often heated to improve the colour and Turquoise is oiled to make it less fragile. But lets face it, gemstones are pretty gorgeous as they are, so none of the beads I use are dyed, reconstructed or fake.
Lampwork Beads These are glass beads, made by winding molten glass around a mandrel and working the bead in the flame. All of the lampwork beads you see here are made either by 
myself or other British lampwork artists. The beads are all kiln annealed for strength and durability and each focal bead and set is individual, so you won't see them anywhere else!
Silver My favourite silver to use is Thai Silver. These charms, beads and 
findings are made by the Karen Hill Tribe in Thailand and they really are something special. Each item is handmade individually and is based on the flora and fauna of the region. Thai silver is around 96-99% pure, whereas Sterling silver is 92.5% pure silver. I like to use both Thai and Sterling silver in the jewellery.
Tibetan Silver I don't use this very often, but it's worth a mention. 
It is actually a metal alloy containing silver, but there are some lovely Tibetan silver charms out there.
Fire Polished Glass Just what it says, really! Small, glass beads that are highly polished by heating.
Added ingredients Other lovely bits and pieces, like porcelain fairy 
beads from South America, pewter goddesses, African recycled glass beads - all fabulous stuff!