Say hello to Genevieve Smolders, founder and owner of Hen + Bear Jewelry. She was born and raised in London, then headed to the big city to attend Ryerson’s Fashion Communications program. Despite hating her “Intro to Jewelry Making” class, Genevieve started with Hen Jewelry around 5 years ago, then introduced a men’s line, Bear Hardware. The two companies were recently combined into Hen + Bear Jewelry.
Each piece is handmade, no two pieces are exactly the same. Genevieve draws inspiration from Aboriginal and Bohemian cultures, which emphasize the beauty in nature and use of quality raw materials over processed ones. Much of the jewelry uses vintage brass, giving her jewelry the sturdiness of old school metal molded with a modern fashion sense. She also uses materials such as gold, white gold & silver plate, semi-precious stones, and of course a touch of love.
The Hen line includes necklaces, bracelets, and earrings. Depending on the collection, the styles range from bold, large pendants with thick chains to light, elegantly minimal pieces with gemstones and beads. Generally, the Hen line includes light colours, often incorporating blue, pink, and white gemstones alongside silver, brass, and gold.
Varied styles are also available in the Bear line, although there are no earrings. The jewelry in the Bear line typical have a more masculine, rugged air to them, typically incorporating the darker colours of lava rock and obsidian beads.
Although Hen was initially started for females and Bear for males, that fact by no means indicates who should wear what. All of the jewelry is beautiful, so if it matches your style, there’s no reason to turn away from it!
Hen + Bear is available in 30 boutiques across Canada, including two previous #BusinessOfTheWeek features, Purdy Natural and Life of Leisure, as well as Desi’s Boutique and FROM MARS. Or you can also order directly off of their website!