About
IONA was founded in Norway in 2024. The story behind the name IONA comes from my mother. My mom and dad have four children, three of us are girls. For every girl they had my mom wanted to call us Iona, but my dad didn't quite agree:). I told this story to a friend of mine, and the moment she heard it she exclaimed: That's your store's name! So in honor of my mom - I changed my stores name to Iona Art & Jewelry, and it's also a pretty cool name. So mom: Now you got an IONA, not quite what you where thinking of, but still:) IONA derives from the Hebrew name Jonas or Jonah, which means dove, the symbol of peace. So IONA it was.
After working as a nurse for 20 years, and dreaming of doing something more with art and hobbies - you now see this little store. My goal is to create inspiring and durable handcrafted items that hopefully bring joy and beauty into everyday life.
My interest in clay began when our class was introduced to it in elementary school. The interest in jewelry design started when a colleague started making bracelets, and she inspired me. After some years, this little shop you now see was born.
The clay figures - the Laminina series - are created with a wish of conveying hope, beauty and peace of mind. To give the eye something to rest on, and make our mind wander into a moment of rest.
My goal is to design jewelry with a new and unique look - with inspiration and elements from nature. Elegant and sophisticated, yet with a fresh Scandinavian summerly vibe, or "summervibe" as I like to say.
The story behind the name in Laminina's series
Ever since I heard about laminin, the protein, I have been fascinated. It has a cross-like shape and is found in every cell in the human body, ensuring that the cell does not lose its shape, like ex. a melted ice cream. Laminin prevents the cell from collapsing. It is the framework of every cell. This laminin protein, with its cross-like shape, makes me think of John the Evangelist when he says, “In Christ all things are.” Christ is the framework in and of all things. Without Christ, nothing can stand.
The name of the series Lamininas, came when I accidentally dropped one of my first clay figure projects to the floor. I was pretty sure it would be smashed to pieces, but amazingly, the wire inside held the parts together. Yes, she got some scrapes on her legs, arms, and neck too, but she made it. Even after falling to the ground, there was something holding her together. It was the wire inside, and that became the symbol of laminin—and again, a symbol of Christ for me.
The wire inside the clay figures is the framework, just like the wire in bracelets or the silver chain. It keeps things together, so they don't fall apart in a thousand pieces.
But if something in our lives gets broken—and it sometimes does—we can go to the Creator. Maybe we got sick or lost someone. Maybe we've been hurt—or we've hurt others. Maybe everything around us has been torn apart. The result is the same: something breaks in us.
But - no matter the reason, it's best to go to the Creator. We need something in our lives to hold us together when we fall and fill us with new joy.
And Christ does. He saves and holds things together. He knows how we are put together. He has the amazing power to turn bad things into good. It may take some time and require a bit of patience, but in the end, it will turn out well—in God's timing. Maybe there is something we need to learn during the process of reconciliation and waiting. Maybe God is waiting for somebody else to be your miracle. Or for you to be ready to be somebody else's miracle. And there is one very important thing God wants us to do: to trust him completely.
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Use your talents!
Did you know the weight of one talent is about 30 kg? A story in the Bible tells of a man who buried his talent. In this context, a single talent is incredibly valuable. Think about it—whether we have one or many talents, each and one talent is of great value. But sometimes we may not know what our talents are. The reason can be we just haven't tried them yet. Or maybe we are hiding them for different reasons.
Like God the creator, we are also born to create.
Are there things you really appreciate or something you enjoy doing? Maybe it's time to do more of it— to do what comes naturally to you, and to flourish in your habitat. If it's hard to find time, try doing it in small portions. Maybe this will awaken some old treasures of talent.
And find something to give thanks to the Lord for daily, especially if you meet challenges. It's not easy, but it will give you peace that surpasses your understanding. Meaning, when we trust God - and wait for him to lead us - the peace you experience goes beyond understanding. It's not possible with our mind to understand this peace we are experiencing. Count your blessings - not your troubles. It is more important than ever.
And for me, I would be so happy if some of my handcrafted items could be a small contribution to this in your life.
Feel free to reach out if you have any questions about the products. I'm here to help.
Best regards Mali
