Can You Believe These Killer Crystals Were Once Sold Out Of A Trunk?

We get intel on blossoming designers in a multitude of ways. Sure, there are always publicists banging down our doors and birds chirping in our ears at events, but our latest discovery was a first — in the form of a very persistent Huntington Beach native via Instagram. When 25-year-old Stephanie Tchamanian blew up our feed with snaps of her Lili Claspe collection of semi-precious baubles, our fingers, wrists, and necks instantly felt a yearning they haven't for a long while (too bare to bear!). These just aren't your everyday soldered alloys and stones — each treasure is a clever handmade crossbreed of metals, crystals, geodes, and pyrite that beg for flattery.

Once the elation over our new find subsided, we did more digging, only to find that this dope ode to Mother Nature has a heartfelt tale behind it, too. Tchamanian faced the loss of her father and sister (for whom the line is named) at a young age, and as a result, matured more quickly than most. She dove into to the finance world first, where answers were always aplenty (comforting when faced with such loss). Well, once she had healed, FIDM came calling, then a stint as a stylist at Nordstrom materialized. And, since the position called for commission-only paychecks, she couldn't accessorize her outfits to their full potential. So, the OC gal got crafty and started peddling her own fresh inventions out of the trunk of her car after shifts! Now equipped with an eclectic e-commerce site, each itty-bitty pretty is named for a childhood pal or family member. Click through for our grab bag of bijoux, and give three cheers to this go-getter with a deep mine of talent.