Sun and Glory: free spirited jewellery with a mind of its own by Annie Roccio

Real leather, handmade designs, and a moral culture to follow, Annie Rocchio is the owner of Sun and Glory, the individual designer that makes spectacular pieces of jewellery that are so extravagant; they probably have a mind of their own.

The line started when she was in New Mexico and she stumbled across some deerskin leather thong laces. After some deliberation, and a 70s macramé book, the Sun and Glory Jewellery line was established. It has developed over time into what it is today, but the range is constantly evolving into new ideas, like hair accessories and leather bags, all within the Native American theme.

All of the jewellery is made by Rocchio and can take from a matter of hours to a matter of days, depending on the size and difficulty of the design, and you can be sure that love is put into the making of them as she describes the process as a “soothing and repetitive task”.

If you are daring enough to wear jewellery like this with all the bells, whistles  and tassels (and it’s not a windy day) then you’ll be looking to pay in the region of £12 to £80. If you wanted to match your native necklace with an equally native bag, then the accessories range from £7 to £45.

All of the designs are certainly individual, and you can say that of the morals behind the company also. Rocchio donates 5% of her profits on each item to the Native American Heritage Association; this group helps tribal reservations in South Dakota, running food, medical, fuel and clothing programmes to give support to the native people in need.

Her Desert Dreamer range doesn’t just turn over a new page, but starts a whole new book.

Tamara Massey

To look at her collection click to her Sun and Glory shop, and to read her work, her Sun and Glory blog.