about me

I am a part-time jewellery designer, maker, painter, and artist based in Wellington, New Zealand. The rest of the time, I am studying speech-language therapy after years of teaching in early childhood education.

Using a variety of materials, I’ve been designing and making jewellery for over 20 years. When my mother died in 2022, I held onto her bead looms and extensive collection of Miyuki beads. In the months following her loss, I threw myself into learning bead-weaving and soon fell in love with a new craft. Creating beautiful things with my mother’s loom was a meaningful healing process that helped me feel connected to her and sparked joy during a difficult time in my life.

With a lot of encouragement from family and friends, I have finally opened my first shop. Thank you for stopping by!

where does the name nahoko come from?

Nahoko is my middle name as well as my Japanese name.

It is pronounced with the stress on the first syllable: NAH - ho - ko.

about my method and materials

All of my beaded jewellery is either hand-stitched or woven on a bead loom. Each piece can involve hours or even days of work depending on the scale or intricacy of design.

I primarily use glass Miyuki delica beads in my work because they are known for their high quality, durability, and consistent, uniform shape. These qualities lend themselves to more immaculate, tightly woven pieces. I also occasionally use Toho hex cut beads, which are less uniform and create a more organic look. I also like to incorporate natural stones and pearls into my work.

I use a mixture of gold fill, gold vermeil, sterling silver, and base metal findings. I choose findings based on the design of each piece as well as what I have in stock. I am committed to using up the materials I kept from my mother’s collection and not let them go to waste. This provides a fun, sustainable, and creative challenge but it also means that I’m not always certain of the metal content of the findings in some of my pieces. I will always specify as much as possible in my descriptions of each piece.

I approach making each piece like a mini work of art.

I am often experimenting with different styles, patterns, colours, and stitch techniques. I don’t often make duplicates, so each item truly is one of a kind!

It is my hope that my jewellery sparks as much joy in the wearer as it did for me to make it.

about pricing

Pricing is based on a combination of materials and labour involved. Base metals are priced lower than gold-fill or sterling silver, and some beads are more expensive and harder to source. The time it takes to make each piece can vary greatly depending on the scale, complexity, and type of stitch.

sustainability approach

I use recycled materials for wrapping and packaging, so the parcel you receive may look a bit random!

I also use vintage materials that I source from my mother’s collection.