Carrying light into the new year
As one year ends and another opens before us, heritage jewelry brand Ma. Angelica Rare Finds lights up the season with a collection that highlights alignment, while still being a beautiful adornment. Called “Beads of Light,” the nine-piece jewelry collection draws inspiration from Spanish colonial tamborin beads, reimagined through fine Filipino craftsmanship, with each bead a companion for introspection.
“The Beads of Light reflect the seasons in our journey of life,” shares founder and jewelry designer Maria Angelica “Gigi” Santos Bermejo. “It’s original, it’s beautiful hand-craftsmanship. It’s your season. It’s your light.”
Fondly known as “Tita Gigi,” Bermejo has been a Filipina jewelry preservationist and self-taught designer for nearly four decades. A devoted collector of antiques, as well as author of the seminal book, “Alahas,” Bermejo’s world has long been shaped by objects that celebrate memory, from religious santo statues to colonial furniture and ceramics. Her reverence for history carries naturally into her work with jewelry. Whether collecting or creating, the pieces Bermejo brings to life are deeply personal, never detached from the hand that shaped them or the life that inspired them.
It is this intimacy that defines the philosophy behind “Beads of Light,” a collection with roots in presence, giving shape to invisible feelings as it accompanies wearers through everyday life. “They don’t fix life,” Bermejo says. “They accompany it. They are good company for the heart.”
Fitting for the new year, “Beads of Light” reminds wearers that a better world begins with a better you, and that the light you need has always been yours to carry.
The nine beads, in meaning and form
Each bead in the collection is distinct in both symbolism and shape, designed to reflect a specific stage in one’s journey of becoming. Hung at the center of a simple gold necklace chain, the beads can also be customized into necklaces with multiple beads, or even a bracelet, such as the Full Dream Bracelet, with all nine beads of value put together in a gilded vision.
Bermejo describes each bead and what it symbolizes.
Laya, the bead of Freedom and Authenticity, features intricate detailing woven together, with the initials “MA” of Maria Angelica subtly incorporated at its center. Its meaning is direct and unwavering: “To be fully, fiercely you.”
Shaped as a circle cradling a flower, Solara, the bead of Hope, comes together as an image of renewal and resilience, speaking to “the courage to rise again and again.”
The bead of Love and Connectedness, Sinta, mirrors the texture of banig, evoking bonds that go beyond language, described as “Love, felt beyond words.”
Simula, the bead of Origin, brings forms together like roots meeting underground, urging its wearer to return to the source. Its reminder is grounding and honest, to “go back to your why.”
Buena, the bead of Good Fortune, takes on a classic spherical form, as whole, complete, and open to possibility. Its intention is to “invite the good in.”
In a round bead enriched with delicate detailing, Verda, the bead of Growth and Healing, symbolizes steady progress, encouraging wearers to “grow as you go.”
The bead of Guiding Light, Tala, appears like a flower or star, shaped to glow and lead, reminding us to “follow your light.”
Talima, the bead of Faith, is beautifully intricate, reflecting trust in what cannot yet be seen. Its call is brave and tender, to “leap, even without the map.”
Finally, Tawid, the bead of Transformation, brings together a cross within a circle, seeming to symbolize crossings, thresholds, and milestones. “Tawid is my favorite,” Bermejo shares. “Because it holds all the moments that change us: beginnings, endings, breakthroughs, and gentle recoveries. It’s the bead that keeps you centered as you honor the milestones that define your becoming.”
Beginning the year with light
Each piece of jewelry from “Bead of Light” arrives thoughtfully packaged, complete with a booklet explaining the nine beads and their meanings, a postcard, a hang tag, a gift card, and a beautifully designed box and bag. The beads definitely feel personal, where both giver and receiver can feel equally held. “It’s about the goodness it brings,” Bermejo says. “Both the gifted and the giver feel special.”
“I prayed for a collection that would go beyond my own story,” Bermejo reflects. “A collection that could belong to anyone seeking clarity or comfort. If we can help one person, one soul see the light, it is a good start.”
As the new year opens amid predictions, resolutions, and forecasts, “Beads of Light” offers something subtler through ornaments meant for kindness, grounding, and good energy for a person’s inner compass. “It can heal without medicine, and bring joy without having to search too far,” Bermejo says. “It helps a person remember the light she already carries—the ability to steady her life from the inside out.”
And perhaps that is the most meaningful way to begin again in the year ahead.
“Beads of Light” can be found at Maria Angelica Rare Finds on https://maangelica.com/
Maria Angelica Santos-Bermejo will be giving a talk on Feb. 12, 2026. Registration begins at 4 p.m., and the talk will start at 5 p.m. at the Ortigas Foundation Library, 2nd Floor, McKinley Parking Building, Service Road, Greenhills Shopping Center, San Juan City
