New York City. March 18, 2020. It was a sentimental trip to St. George’s in Bermuda that led to designer Stephanie Occhipinti discovering the delicate pine seeds that would inspire her most recent collection, Bermuda Pine.

Nestled in the island’s pretty pink sand were myriad slender stems bursting with buds from nearby large and looming whistling pine trees. The discovery took place during a decidedly memorable trip: her parents’ 50th wedding anniversary celebration. So, with her family as an emotional muse, she took literal inspiration from the forms and cast them in sterling silver, gold vermeil, and karat gold, setting pink gems like tourmaline and conch shell in harmony with the metal seedlings. The result is a sweet collection ideal for making graceful style statements.

“My dad has since passed, so it is a constant beautiful reminder of him,” says Occhipinti.

Plus, with Occhipinti’s 20 years of training in traditional Japanese-style karate, she knew that Shotokan karate literally meant “pine needles in the sand,” a fact that further reinforced her decision to christen the new collection—one of many uplifting jewelry lines created with meaningful purpose and artist integrity.

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