ileava jewelry Since 2003
Designed and made by Maya in Tokyo
From the whimsical and playful world where a teddy bear and his friends are waiting to hug your finger, Maya picks out elements and shapes them into ileava jewelry. Those elements include water and branches, flowers and animals, Stardust and fragments of dreams.
At our Omotesando store, you can see and try on one-of-a-kind pieces, jewelry for every day or a gift, wedding rings, and engagement rings.
Made in Tokyo
Every piece of ileava jewelry is designed and made by hand in Tokyo. In the atelier adjoining our Omotesando store, Maya designs each piece directly in wax. She adds the wax one drop at a time, cuts it back, and turns the piece in her hands as she develops the form in three dimensions. After the wax form has been cast in metal, Maya continues shaping and refining the piece by hand. The store itself reflects the same way of working: we made many of its elements ourselves, including the signs outside and the glass display cases inside. Facing the entrance, the plants on the left are edible; those on the right are not. They change with the seasons and also influence Maya’s designs.
AlternativeEngagement Rings
Customers often tell us they found ileava while searching for an engagement ring that felt different from everything else they had seen. At our Omotesando store, we help customers discover one-of-a-kind rings that bring Maya’s distinctive designs together with diamonds and sapphires she selects for their shape, color, inclusions, and response to light. On the hand, the stone and Maya’s design become one composition; that is often where the choice becomes clear.
A Collaboration ThatBegins with the Stone
A Japanese lapidarist approaches each stone as an original design, deciding how to cut and polish it. Maya studies the finished stones one by one and chooses those in which she can see the beginning of a piece. She designs the jewelry that will hold each stone, creating something that could exist only with that particular stone. The lapidarist’s design remains visible in the stone, while Maya determines the form, balance, and character of the piece as a whole.
SakuraCollection
Sakura has been part of ileava’s design language for years. Maya makes each flower and branch individually. As she brings them together, the process resembles arranging fresh flowers: each has its own form and direction, and its placement changes the whole. Rose gold petals stand against oxidized silver branches. The contrast comes from Maya’s observation of how rain darkens cherry bark, making the blossoms appear brighter.
Gifts and Jewelryfor Every Day
Jewelry does not need to wait for a formal occasion. At the Omotesando store, you can choose from silver, gold, and platinum pieces across a range of prices, including jewelry with birthstones. You might be looking for a birthday or anniversary gift, a piece to remember a visit to Tokyo, or simply something for yourself.
Custom Jewelry,Designed by Maya
Custom work at ileava begins with a connection to Maya’s designs and stories. You might choose a different stone for a favorite design, bring together elements from several ileava pieces, or ask Maya to interpret a motif that matters to you—an animal, a plant, or a particular landscape. Maya accepts a limited number of projects and meets with each client herself. The process depends on trusting Maya to interpret that starting point in her own way and shape it into ileava jewelry.
JewelryWorkshop
At our Omotesando atelier, we have offered workshops in making jewelry models in wax, an essential part of the design process at ileava jewelry.
Along with an introductory workshop, we created an ongoing workshop where people interested in making could work alongside one another, share ideas, and develop their skills over time.
Wax pieces made during the workshops could be cast in silver.
Our jewelry workshops are currently on pause. No future dates are scheduled at this time.
