Sterling silver baubles -- Shannon Schoon - edited

NORTH LIBERTY - Sterling silver baubles, Swarovski crystals, antiqued beads imported from Bali.

These are the materials craftswoman Shannon Schoon uses in making her jewelry for her home-based business called Peace of Mind Jewelry. Schoon, who lives in North Liberty with her husband Jason, three-year old son, Cale, and 18 month old daughter, Piper, has a degree in interior design. She has been successful at putting her degree to good use by making elegant jewelry.

Peace of Mind: Jewelry and Gifts was created less than two years ago, in October 2002, after a friend asked Shannon Schoon to make a “Mother’s Bracelet” for her. Schoon had not seen a Mother’s Bracelet and so turned to the Internet to research how they were made.

“I’ve always wanted to sell my jewelry and I never could really find an outlet to sell it and be profitable,” said Schoon. “And then once I started making Mother’s Bracelets, they just really caught on and everyone was asking for them.”

The Mother’s Bracelet that Schoon makes features the child’s name spelled out letter by letter on sterling silver cubed beads. In addition, high-quality colored crystals, the kind used in chandeliers, are used to represent the child’s birthstone. And, customers have the option to add a silver charm in the shape of a baby’s foot. The Mother’s Bracelets are Schoon’s most popular item.

Also quite popular are the Salvation Bracelets, which consist of six colored crystals, each representing different parts of faith, explained Schoon. She includes a card that describes the meaning of the six different colors when she ships the bracelet to the customer. “It’s a good way if someone notices that you are wearing it, and you want to share your beliefs,” said Schoon. “And it’s a nice way to keep your faith in your thoughts.”

Schoon’s “one-of-a-kind” bracelets are new this year, and customers can be assured that there are no other bracelets exactly like that one. Shannon explained that many ideas for her designs and patterns come from magazines. She also likes to wander through bead stores for inspiration

A recent art class ignited Shannon’s enthusiasm. She is looking forward to purchasing a kiln and making jewelry from a new material called precious metal clay, which turns to sterling silver when fired.

Schoon’s family supports her growing jewelry business. Her husband, Jason, built her a web site, and took care to register the site with several search engines so that people on the Internet would notice it. He also helps with shipping the orders, especially in November when Shannon receives a lot of orders for Christmas. Shannon’s mom, who loves the jewelry, is one of her best customers.

To view samples of jewelry from Peace of Mind, one can go to the web site, www.peaceofmindjewelry.com, attend the annual pancake breakfast at the North Liberty United Methodist Church where Shannon sets up a display table, or contact Shannon Schoon directly by e-mail shannon@peaceofmindjewelry.com or by telephone at 319-665-2232.