My story
SOZO σῴζω
saved . healed . delivered
My name is Hayle. I am the jeweler of SOZO Handcrafted Creationz. My passionate LOVE for Gods beautiful creation has been the biggest motivating factor to keep pursing this craft and my deepest source inspiration for making my own artwork. I've learned so much more about myself and the meaning of SOZO through my artistic expression.
I decided to name my brand after my life changing encounter with Love. Sozo is a Greek word that means saved, healed, and delivered. What I find fascinating about this word, is what it reveals when you dig a little deeper into the various and amazing stories of how Jesus healed people. Every single time Jesus SOZO'ed someone, He healed them physically, emotionally, and spiritually. That is the kind of experience I had when I met Jesus and it has continually been my experience through the highs and lows of life. For the better part of my childhood and teen years, I never thought I was creative or artistic. It wasn't until I met Jesus, the Creator, that I discovered I am His and I am creative because of Who HE IS! That started a journey of healing in discovering the gifts God endowed me with to make beautiful jewelry with my two hands.
The very beginning of my jewelry journey started from a vision I had of a copper wire cross that looked intertwined hanging on a strand of lace. I could not stop imaging it because the necklace held a very deep meaning to me and once I finally made it, I wore it everyday. A few months later, I purchased a ring while visiting my friend in Northern California- it was a copper wire ring with Turquoise, Tigers eye, and Amethyst. It quickly became my most favorite ring and began an interest in me to learn more about gemstones. When I came back home from that trip, I felt inspired to keep creating things that brought me joy. I had one friend who encouraged me to keep going for it, he gave an abundance of copper wire to start out with and he even helped make rings with me. After a while of creating rings and getting better at it, another one of my friends ask me to start selling my rings at Huntington Surf and Sport- which frightened me but it also ignited a fire in me. I never would have began selling my jewelry if it wasn't for her... My two friends played an important and crucial roll by believing in me before I believed in myself.
After a few years of creating wire wrapped rings, I desired to grow more into working with quality metals and unique gemstones that could last a lifetime. So, I took a silversmithing class at my local community collage while I simultaneously took a geology class to learn more about minerals and rocks. I started to immures myself into learning all I could and I made connections with people who helped me grow along the way. But the one person who helped me grow my craft the most, was a jeweler named Ken whom I met by walking into his store in Laguna Beach, California. After talking with him for a little while, I boldly asked him if he could teach me his ways and he shot me down! But, I showed persistence and strength of character by coming back in with the gemstone he told me his daughter was looking for. After that, he began teaching me and helped me to collect the right tools and skill to get my work on the next level. I will always be grateful for the wisdom he poured into me for that whole next year.
My passion is to display the gorgeous beauty of unique gemstones that can never be replicated. I have travel long and far to search for gems that spark joy in me. I traveled all the way to Australia by myself to find very rare black opals in a town called Lightning Ridge- its a mining town 8 hours into the Outback. I drove a campervan on that 8 hour journey with uneven roads and wild kangaroos ready to jump in front of my van. And not to mention I was driving on the other side of the road! I loved every single part of the journey and it was all the more worth it after meeting the locals and picking out some amazing opals. Being able to create a piece of jewelry with one of those black opals I came home with holds so much more meaning to me than just another piece of jewelry- it encapsulates my story in a beautiful way. I love how jewelry can tell a story!
