CIMELIA ︱Amelia Busenhart

Portrait of Amelia by Shea Schwennicke (2024)

Amelia Busenhart founded Cimelia Creations, a handmade jewelry business based in California. The name "Cimelia" comes from the Latin word meaning "treasures," reflecting the nature of her handcrafted jewelry pieces. From a young age, jewelry has held a special place in her heart, ignited by her mother's thoughtful gift of earrings after returning from her travels. The allure of jewelry goes beyond its beauty; it fosters feelings of self-love and connection. Creating jewelry enables Amelia to intertwine these sentiments into each piece. She invites you to explore her creations and wishes you a delightful day.

Tell about yourself, and some of your experiences growing up.

I grew up in Santa Cruz, California, with a mom who fed the deer, a dad covered in tattoos, and a best friend for a brother. My parents put us in a preschool across the creek, which was located on the land shared by a Buddhist monastery, and later for middle and high school, on the land shared with a Hindu temple. Even though my brother and I often complained about our alternative schooling, my parents knew exactly what they were doing. Thanks to their choices, my whole childhood was centered around mindfulness, creativity, and love, and I couldn't be happier with that.

I then moved out of Santa Cruz to attend school at the University of California, Santa Barbara to study dance. Fairly early into my first quarter, I knew that dance wasn’t my thing anymore. It took about three quarters of feeling pretty lost and a rather scary chat with my academic advisor until I finally found myself in a sociology class. After my first lecture, I was hooked. Uncovering all the beliefs I had absorbed throughout my life by society, just to find out they weren't truly my own felt revolutionary- it was electric.

Matthew and Josh- Amelia's best friends who taught her to surf.

When did you get into surfing?

My brother, and our childhood friends Matthew and Josh, gave me and my best friend Lilly our first surf lesson. It took place at a beach in Santa Cruz called Rio Del Mar, the quintessential hangout spot of our friend group. To put it plainly- it’s a beach break, with a shit ton of sharks (so every person’s ideal conditions for their first surf lesson). We set out on duck taped, off brand wavestorms and spent most of the time tumbling under water. Despite the lack of waves caught, if any, this will forever be one of my favorite surf sessions.

For me, surfing serves as a place of pure, playful joy and bliss- and has taught me that anything you enjoy doing in life, is better spent doing with the ones you love.

Photo of Amelia surfing at Rincon by Edin Markulin

You advocate for 'self-love and connection' and that jewelry enables you to express yourself through this craft, elaborate more on this - especially today, how social media marketing is so tough on people concerning their bodies and mental health.

There is something so powerful, I think, about getting up in the morning, sitting in front of a mirror, and adorning yourself with jewels. For me, that time serves as a sacred little moment of self-love, and that is why I think jewelry is such a beautiful form of art. This ritual of mine was also partially created to replace the time I spent scrolling through social media in the mornings and comparing myself to the millions of unachievable beauty standards online.

This brings me to the slippery slope of social media, which, despite its innate trickiness, is a must to grow this little business of mine.

I have spent some time researching the beast and have concluded that a mixture of boundaries and a sense of playfulness is your best bet at having a healthy relationship with it. I do my best to stay off social media first thing in the morning, follow positive and inclusive accounts, post things that make me smile, express myself without expecting any outcome, and not get sucked into the infamous scroll hole.

Photo of Amelia making a ring by Brigg Busenhart

How did you start making jewelry and what was your inspiration?

I started making jewelry during the COVID-19 pandemic. I was living at home in Santa Cruz and it had rained for what felt like 50 days straight and I was looking for a craft. Shea, my college best friend and roommate, and I were obsessed with making jewelry- so I figured why not keep it going at home? My amazing mom gave me $100 (because she is an endless supporter of everything I do, no matter what it is) and I bought some wire and beads on etsy, and BOOM the rest is history.

My newly harbored obsession with jewelry cultivated an incredibly deep connection with my grandfather- he was a silversmith, and his obsession with crafting ran deep. Our family get-togethers turned into jewelry powwows in the corner where he’d give me heaps of advice and usually take me to his truck to show me the tools he brought me. The advice and tools he gave me over the years hold such a special place in my heart- I wouldn’t be able to make half of the things I do if it wasn’t for him.

Jim, Amelia's grandfather, and jewelry inspiration!

What is your creative process like?

I usually find inspiration for my creations in my surroundings. For instance, once while lounging by a creek with a friend, I noticed the patterns the wind made on the water's surface. The pattern reminded me of the texture metal gets when hit with a Ball Pein hammer. That little moment became the catalyst for an entire hammered sterling silver ring line. I'm incredibly grateful to have lived in places with such beautiful nature, providing me with many ideas and an abundance of love.

Recently, I've been doing a lot of wax casting, which is very time-consuming, occasionally frustrating, but incredibly rewarding. I think creativity is fueled by your specific taste for what you find beautiful, and for a while, that taste doesn't match up with what you can create. This can cause a lot of frustration for many artists. However, I feel that by starting to wax cast and having some years of jewelry making under my belt, I can finally bring the ideas in my head to life. (I know that sounds cheesy, but I don't mind – it feels damn good!) Despite working on my ideas, I adore working with people to craft made-to-order pieces that reflect their unique vision.

My pieces are made with sterling silver or 14k gold because they are known for their durability over time and do not corrode in saltwater! Being able to wear jewelry in the water is extremely important to me. I feel like it's such a fun form of self-expression in the water, and it gives you that little extra sparkle of confidence.

Latest Cimelia ring collection - Photo by Amelia

Tell us about the startup hurdles you have had to overcome.

Running my jewelry business has taught me that everyone is trying to figure things out. Whenever I've confided in a friend about feeling lost, they've admitted to feeling or having felt the same way. It's a universal experience. So don't be discouraged by what you don't know yet. Instead, be curious about what you're going to learn. I wholeheartedly believe that you can teach yourself anything, but that's not to say it will be easy. You'll likely face roadblocks and find yourself starting over countless times. However, if you persist and stick to it, you can make anything happen.