Humans have been adorning themselves since the beginning of time. We use tribal markings, natural dyes, and even ink to decorate ourselves. Perhaps the most obvious—and ubiquitous—form of body adornment is jewelry. From earrings made of melded copper, precious gemstones, and gold bangles, jewelry has been used as body decoration since society began. In the mindful community, malas tend to be favorites.
Logan Mauldin grew up accompanying her mom on jewelry-buying trips around the world. Building on the relationships she built as a child, Logan still works with the same silversmiths for her company Silver & Sage. You may have seen Silver & Sage at a Wanderlust event this year, and we’re crazy about the co-branded mala we worked on together. We sat down with Logan to learn more about the magic behind the stones she uses in her pieces, the yoga in her process, and how it all ties together in the business of Silver & Sage.
Wanderlust (WL): You use jasper and lava rock in the Wanderlust malas—why these stones? Do you have a personal connection?
Logan Mauldin (LM): Jasper and lava rock are wonderful stones for anyone on a personal journey: Lava rock is grounding and is said to promote clarity and guidance, while jasper is nurturing and is said to encourage honesty and courage. These are all wonderful to have around when you’re doing deep personal work, which can often times feels scary and vulnerable. And they are properties that I think the Wanderlust community and any yogi can appreciate and connect with.
WL: Do you have a favorite stone or symbol?
LM: My favorite stone is turquoise. While it’s known to be a healing stone, there’s something about it that, for me, speaks of ancient wisdom.
WL: When did you start making jewelry?
LM: My mother had a jewelry business when I was growing up, and I would often accompany her on design trips to Mexico. I have wonderful memories of our sitting together with piles of stones and beautiful silver findings. We’d spend hours together creating jewelry. I started Silver & Sage in 2011. I’d been very immersed in yoga, and was teaching at the time. I loved teaching, but missed being creative, and so I had the idea of reaching out to the silversmiths I’d met in my childhood and asking them to make some yoga-inspired charms for me. And that was the beginning…
WL: How does your practice of making jewelry tie into your yoga practice?
LM: Making jewelry is a mindful and meditative practice in a couple of different ways. If I’m designing, I like to create an environment that allows me to enter into a creative flow. For me, this « environment » isn’t unlike a beautiful yoga studio with great music. This is usually when I can be in my studio alone, in the morning or evening. I become completely present to what I am doing, time flies, and inspiration just comes from the freedom of that open inner space.
WL: Do you have a vision before you create a piece, or does it happen as you create?
LM: I start with an idea, but that idea definitely evolves as I begin to create. I imagine it’s the same process of that an artist has painting a canvas. Each brush stroke inspires the next. For me, each stone, or pattern of stones, inspires the next.
WL: Silver & Sage pieces evoke properties, such as clarity, healing, and love. Which property do you find yourself returning to as a practice?
LM: For me personally, I find myself seeking properties of grounding and letting go of the need to control. But the beauty of natural gemstones is that they all have properties that we can connect to. It just depends on where you are in your life and journey as to which stones speak to you.
WL: Where are some of your favorite places to source materials?
LM: I love traveling and meeting people from different cultures and backgrounds. My most favorite places to source are those places where I meet people that I can have an honest conversation with, share a smile, set goals together of how we want to partner and work together. Silver & Sage reminds me that there are good and beautiful people everywhere.
WL: What’s been a surprising part of operating Silver & Sage?
LM: Oh, there are so many surprising things about running a business. Silver & Sage has evolved and grown in different directions over the years. With each stepping stone, I definitely have a moment of thinking, « Wow! Look at where we are today. » There have been a lot of challenges to running a business that I wasn’t thinking about or anticipating when I first began. But I have been rewarded greatly by seeing first hand how our customers connect with Silver & Sage, and I have met so many amazing people along the way.