Behind Umya
My name is Ushas, I am Belgian and was born in 1989 in the French speaking countryside.
In 2014 I taught myself how to make jewelry and developed my brand, Umya, which quickly became my full time activity.
•••AESTHETIC•••
Since my early beginnings I have been searching for a balance between clear sharp shapes, with a playful, subtle, organic presence. The two aspects together seem to complete and reinforce each other in my eyes.
I like brushed surfaces and enjoy fine lines with a shine.
I have become in love with mixing metals, always looking for an aesthetic where one tone is more present than the other.
I work mostly with silver and brass, but also enjoy a bit of copper.
Gold fills my heart every time I get the chance to work with it.
•••WHAT YOU CAN FIND•••
- Choose your stone designs : this offering allows you to choose your favorite stone from the collection to be turned into a jewel made especially for you within a few weeks.
- Unique, one-of-a-kind series are released on a regular basis (those are ready-to-ship
- An online course, in which I teach you the basics of metalsmithing, so you can start your own collections of jewels made of metal & stones.
I do not accept personalized orders anymore.
•••WHERE YOU CAN FIND IT•••
- You will find a wide selection designs in the Choose Your Stone collection as well as a lovely assortiment of unique jewelry, both in my webshop.
- At punctual events.
•••QUESTIONS?•••
If you have any question, send me a quick mail! I'll happily get back to you within 2 working days. You can do so directly here, or on Facebook, or by email @ umyajewelry(at)gmail.com.
•••SOME MORE ABOUT THE HUMAN BEHIND UMYA•••
I was born and grew up in Belgium, in the French speaking countryside (though I spent 7 years in a flemish - Dutch speaking - school).
Back in 2007 when I was 18 and finished school, a decade of traveling started. I spent 1 year in Scotland (Dundee), 2 years in Spain (Madrid), 3 years back in Belgium (Brussels), 1 year in Australia (Sydney)/New-Zealand/Indonesia, 1 year back in Brussels, 1,5 year in Germany (Friedrichshafen)/Spain (Barcelona), to finally land back in the Belgian countryside in 2017, close to where I grew up. After 6 wonderful years in the countryside there, in 2023 my Spaniard & I decided to move in Asturias in the North of Spain, where we bought our house on a big piece of land.
In Scotland I met my Spaniard.
In Madrid and Brussels I studied photography.
In Sydney I taught myself how to work with metal and started developing Umya.
In New-Zealand therapy and growing from inside as a human, became one of my first priority in life.
While spending 6 years back in Belgium, I developed a deep interest in the whole cycle of growing food. Animals also made a big return in my life, as sheep, ducks, chickens and a dog joined our little family. They are an infinite source of joy, love and energy daily.
Nowadays my life is a balance of these things : making beautiful jewelry, growing as a human, caring for my animals and growing food.
Sharing life with a Spaniard brought a big life change on my way, as we decided to buy a piece of land in the North of Spain to continue our life there. The took place in the summer of 2023.
We chose Asturias because it is actually (surprisingly) so similar to the Belgian climate I love so much. This climate, this vegetation, this experience of seasons change, is where I feel the happiest and most fulfilled. I love this humid, rainy weather, and our so green grass.
••• Why the name Umya? Well, my second name is Uma, and I was called by that name until I was 9 years old. I was happy to subtly give it some place in my life again.
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(Hablo Español • Je parle français • I speak English • Ik spreek Nederlands)
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Find me on
Instagram : instagram.com/umyajewelry
Facebook : www.facebook.com/umyajewelry
Newsletter : www.umya.be/pages/newsletter
Pinterest : www.pinterest.com/umyaj
Youtube : www.youtube.com/@umyajewelry
TikTok : www.tiktok.com/@umyajewelry