Saraswati is a handcrafted jewellery line with the mission of connecting the wearer to spirit. Designer Sabrina Siponen, of Indian and African ancestry, marries the vibrant customs of her heritage with the natural landscapes of her birthplace, Canada. From this, Saraswati Designs emerged. Meet Sabrina Siponen…
What led you to jewellery design?
I think my Indian upbringing gave me an innate love for jewellery and adornment. When I was a child, my aunties would take trips to the East and bring back all of these exquisite creations that we’d pass around and admire on one of their giant beds. I spent a lot of my late twenties travelling and felt most at home in India discovering my roots. I also really got into sacred geometry at this time and realized that no one was making sacred geometry jewellery. I made it my personal mandate to do just that and bring its intrigue and natural beauty to a mainstream audience. Now it’s become a full-blown obsession!
Tell us about your Operation Eyesight (OEU) pendant.
Around two years ago, I was at a Christmas market in Calgary, and a young woman came to my booth and started talking to me about Operation Eyesight and its initiatives to prevent blindness and restore sight in South Asia and Africa. I learned there are 39 million blind people in the world, and 12 million are in India. This ongoing conversation evolved into the creation of our Operation Eyesight pendant. I am so happy with it—it’s my favourite of this season, and I’m stoked that 100% of the net profits will go to the foundation. I’ve volunteered for much of my life and have always felt a responsibility to help others. Now the company is at a place financially where I’m able to create something with the ability to offer the profits to an organization I truly believe in.
Where can we find your work?
We are currently based out of the Mercer Warehouse, Mondays to Saturdays, but you can also find curated selections of the line at Groove Stone, Optimum Health Vitamins, Bamboo Ballroom, Vanity Corner, Expressions by Gigi, and Touch of Serenity Spa. We also just updated our website.
