The lush green forests, the lapping ocean, and the protective mountains of the West Coast inspired the jewelry designer of MeiKu Designs, Karen Fung, to create her first collection.

Fung describes her collection called Karma as “upscale Boho chic”.

Her earings, necklaces, and bracelets are made mostly of gold, silver, brass, semi precious stones, leather, wood, and wax linen to create jewelry suitable for everyday wear that combines the raw wilderness of BC with the chic city life of Vancouver.

“The Western Coastline is such an inspiration for me, like the colors, the ruggedness, and the lushness of it,” says Fung.

She says the natural landscape of the area is represented in the shapes and colors of her materials. She says she uses colors seen in nature, like greens, blues, browns, and oranges.

Fung uses quality materials so there is no discoloration and she says she stays away from certain metals that can irritate the skin.

“I use a lot of semi precious stones because I just find stones carry a bit of healing energy in them and that is also very West Coast. People can be healed by nature, you come out to the West Coast and you feel very calm and relaxed and I want my jewelry to have that kind of power to it,” she says.

Fung didn’t always plan to be a jewelry designer and she hasn’t always been a West Coast girl. Born and raised in Ontario, Fung came to Vancouver about 10 years ago searching for inspiration after she realized her training in illustration and web design weren’t satisfying her need to create.

“I felt like art needed more of a purpose. I think what drew me to jewelry is that it’s something a person would appreciate everyday,” she says.

Her favorite creation she has made so far is a pair of earings that are gold colored with little feathers in the middle and a hint of blue.

“I just love it because it has a little pop of color without being too obnoxious… It really represents West Coast… the whole rugged and raw look, but yet refined,” Fung says.

She says she tries to make pieces that are accessible. The prices for her precious pieces range between $25- $190.

Her naturally beautiful jewelry can be purchased at Briers on West 4^th Avenue and Ohkuol on Granville St.

Her jewelry is also available a local craft shows as she has participated in many across the city.

Currently Fung is preparing to sell and showcase her work on the North Shore at the Harmony Arts Festival in West Vancouver from July 29^th until August 7th.

She says she is really excited for the festival and she is planning on having some new pieces ready to be premiered at the event.

But until you can see the Karma collection in person at the festival, you can check out the pictures below and see more at www.meikudesigns.com.

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Now that you’ve seen the Karma collection, I bet you can totally see how these pieces represent the landscape! If you don’t live out here I guess you can see how much you are missing out! How adorable are the pinecone necklaces!?

xo