THE TREASURE INSIDE ALL OF US
Before I had even put pen to paper behind the designs of this collection, the Lord started this journey by fashioning and solidifying it into our hearts; until we were firmly established in this message that He wanted us to share through this new collection.
Throughout last year this collection underwent numerous processes, constantly being transformed, edited, and refined.
One particular scripture that had been at the forefront of the design process for this Collection was Ecclesiastes. 4:12; “a three-strand cord is not easily broken.”
As I was busy sketching and creating a basic inspiration board at the beginning of 2021, a client contacted me and asked for this exact scripture to be incorporated into an engagement ring design.
I knew it was a confirmation, a go-ahead from God, and that this collection would carry a stamp of approval from heaven.
The Miinella team had been feeling the theme of Purity was on our hearts during this process. This was again confirmed through the scriptures we read and the teachings we listened to during that time.
We decided to call the collection, “The Pure Collection,” based on Matthew 5:8, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”
One particular Sunday afternoon, I was drawing the first few items for this range in our garden when Rudi from Silber Studio Photography invited us for a styled shoot.
I thought it was noteworthy that we chose an unknown student, Leamé Hattingh, a family friend, as a model for this shoot. Leamé is an all-around beautiful woman inside and out, whose values reflect the very scripture this collection is based upon; a pure heart.
She is a stunning dancer, and photographing her was a breeze because her every move was graceful and balanced. My expectations for the photoshoot were much exceeded.
I did however feel that even though the collection was good, it still wasn’t quite perfect. Just as the Lord was doing in all of us during that time, our collection still needed to be pruned and refined.
Whilst working on some of the last jewellery pieces I discovered an ad for Lizelle Lotter, the photographer in Durban, where we had recently moved to.
To provide some context, I've known of Lizelle's work for many years whilst living in Cape Town and I hold her in high regard.
We were working on a few new items that hadn't yet been photographed on a model. I told Lizelle that I strongly felt that we needed to expand on our demographic as a company and that inclusivity was at the forefront of our hearts for this expansion.
Since we didn’t have enough time to scout for a model, I asked my mom for a few suggestions.
“What about Judith?” My mom asked.
Judith is our domestic worker, a beautiful Malawian woman. This immediately excited my spirit.
Judith is an extremely diligent and hard worker who loves the Lord and was there for my family during a very tough season in our lives.
She was in a very different stage of her life from Leamé, emphasised by the fact that she was 7 months pregnant with her third child, however just as focused on purity of heart.
At this point I noticed a shift in the jewellery we were designing. We still had our exquisite bridal pieces, but our focus shifted into jewellery that could be worn on a daily basis.
I realised that these items weren’t just reserved for a particular phase of life. But that purity should be at the heart of every season we go through. It’s a posture of the heart, a statute of being before the Lord.
Initially, when we started with the photoshoot, it was challenging because Judith has never been in front of a professional camera before.
We prayed for her, massaged her, and tried to put her at ease. Soon enough, she started to relax and we could see her natural glow shining through the lens.
The jewellery looked stunning on her mahogany skin, and she looked like a queen!
My favorite part was driving home after the photo shoot when I said, "Judith, it's tough being a model, huh!"
"Eish, it's difficult to do nothing," she said. We couldn't stop giggling!
As this collection has grown and evolved, I've been increasingly grateful that the Lord is willing to prune us, to be okay with all of our internal struggles rising to the surface (and even delighting when they do, rather than remaining squished up inside.)
What we discovered is that, as we are refined, in the same manner as precious metals like gold and silver, all the impurities beneath the surface rise to the top and are burnt away.
Purity may seem lovely, but it’s a process.
Our prayer for our customers:
Our prayer for you is that you will let Him work on you and that you will appreciate the often-uncomfortable process of refinement. When you look back one day, you will be grateful that you went through the fire instead of around it.
We pray that God will continue to be glorified in your life as you welcome His refining process which will mold and shape you into a piece of treasure.
‘He who loves a pure heart and gracious lips will have the king for a friend.’ Proverbs 22:11
Blessings
Jacomien Minnaar