KUUMBA divine JEWELRY @ FRED SEGAL*ROCKS

KUUMBA DIVINE JEWELRY~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Urban Nomad~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Kuumba Divine Jewelry is one of Los Angeles's most exquisite hand-made jewelry lines. The word "Kuumba" means "creator or creative" in Swahili, and also represents Kuumba, this self-taught artisan. Her inspiration is simply the organic qualities of life found within the urban milieu of Los Angeles. Many of Kuumba's designs are envisioned in her dreams. Growing up in South/East Los Angeles, Kuumba saw all the struggles of strong beauty. Kuumba's direct surroundings while growing up in Los Angeles were landscaped by vacant lots, laced by railroad tracks, framed by factories and warehouses. With this part of Los Angeles being one of the most concrete of places, Kuumba was always able to find the muse within it. Wild vines grew up graffiti ridden walls, flowers sprouted out of the trunks of abandoned cars, wild grasses found refuge vegetating in sewage drains or the Watts Towers. Within all of this chaos and structure, she saw life AND art. These types of ironic instances were just some of the things that have helped develop her colorful visions to create this prolific line. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Kuumba's designs adorn many of the brightest and most beautiful women in Hollywood. They along with multitudes of others have become fans and appreciate this jewelry line of unrefined, soldered and sculpted patterns hammered in gold and silver, then organically laced with watermelon Tourmaline, Mother of Pearl and other semiprecious elements. Many times, Her jewelry designs have been compared to the works of Alphonse Mucha & Gustav Klimt. Kuumba's jewelry is delicate & lightweight. Her designs are reminiscent of ancient indigenous styles synthesized with modern Art Nouveau. Her Designs helped inspire the retro beaded hoop look of last year. In 2002, Kuumba's ethnically adorned hammered hoops accented with turquoise, bone and coral were big a hit at Jacqueline Jarrot boutiques. Kuumba's Designs have been the hottest picks at Fred Segal, Rocks, Anthropologie & other fine boutiques globally. Kuumba Divine Jewelry is featured on CBS's "Entertainment Tonight" & "The Insider". ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Kuumba's quest in her jewelry business is helping to enable & empower more women as artisans and designers in Haiti, Ghana, Kenya and other UNDER-SERVED AND IMPOVERISH countries. Creating fair trade employment opportunities so they too can start their own companies. Kuumba, a former Kindergarten teacher, now devotes herself to reinventing her jewelry line everyday, always staying ahead and cutting edge.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Kuumba's jewelry is goddess like." -Angela Rich, Contributing Accessories Editor (Fine Jewelry), InStyle Magazine ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Kuumba Divine Jewelry captures the very essence of urban street culture in their style. The unique designs Incorporated in Kuumba Divine Jewelry integrate retro and modern. Up and coming, not cliched or tired is their trademark" -LA Star Fashions (celebrity fashions website) U.K~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Press sightings/Kuumba Divine Jewelry has been worn by: BEYONCE in spring drop earrings; HALLE BERRY, CAMERON DIAZ & GABRIELLE UNION in hammered avocado hoops; INDIA.ARIE in wind kite earrings; TYRA BANKS in kite earrings; EVA PIGFORD in choctaw earrings; Top model contestant TOCCARA JONES in rain paisley earrings; TRACY E. ROSS & PERSIA WHITE in hammered hoops; KRISTEN BELL in eclipse hoops; SHANNON ELIZABETH, SHONDRELLA AVERY & JANN CARL in rain chadeliers; BRANDY in waterfall earrings; MARIA MENOUNOS in divine rose earrings & fircracker chandeliers; WENDY REQUEL ROBINSON in mosaic cuff; KERRY WASHINGTON in estella chandeliers; RACHELLE FARRELL in cactus earrings; TOMIKO FRASER in the willow tiara; KATE BECKINSALE in double kite chandeliers; JENNIFER ANISTON in loop hoops; and EVE in various designs by Kuumba- just to name a few.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ *For editorial, media and sales contact- KUUMBA DIVINE JEWELRY/ SHOWN BY APPOINTMENT ONLY, AT BLUEBIRD SHOWROOM-COOPER DESIGN SPACE, DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES, CA.