We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Marcia Passos a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Marcia, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you tell us the backstory behind how you came up with the idea?

My name is Marcia Passos … I’m Brazilian-born, US-raised, living in New England, and the creator of Geo-Graphic Gems.

Folks in my region of New Hampshire may know me as editor and publisher of regional magazines (Monadnock Table, The Business Journal , The Heart of New England & atHome Magazines). I not only love to produce new magazines, but I also love to collect vintage National Geographic magazines.

I discovered a technique to transform older National Geographic magazines into works of art quite by accident when a friend I was visiting showed me the work she was doing using a natural process to make works of art on canvas. The process dissolves the ink on the pages that are printed on clay-based paper, creating brilliant abstract designs.

I began to do this myself and was intrigued by the stunning designs this technique created. I have made jewelry in the past for friends and I realized that bezels with glass cabochons would be an ideal way to use this paper to make earrings and pendants — the glass locks in the paper, making it impermeable to liquids, and accents and magnifies the designs.

Most people have not seen anything else like it!

Marcia, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I create jewelry made from vintage National Geographic magazine pages (magazines from the late 1980s to early 2000s work the best because of the paper and ink that was used). I used to make jewelry when I was in high school, but pursued a career in magazine writing and editing for most of my life. I love making these “gems without mining” because I am upcycling magazines that most people have in their basement or attic (or their parents or grandparents have them or collected them). There are people who create art using the citric acid process that I use to make these gems … but I have not seen anyone make jewelry from these marbleized designs. Once they are locked into rounded cabochons, the effect is dazzling. People say they look like stones.

We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.

I started GeoGraphic Gems LLC in 2018. I had been marbleizing National Geographic magazine pages for some time, using the paper to wrap gifts and make art. But I discovered glass cabochons and bezels on Etsy and realized that the paper would work to make these “faux gems.” I experimented at first with round pendants, and made 5 of them for my bookclub friends who wore them everywhere! They encouraged me to apply to a juried handmade store in my town (called Hannah Grimes Marketplace). I applied, got accepted, and realized I had a salable product. I started going to craft fairs and got a lot of positive feedback from my jewelry (which I began to branch out into making earrings, bracelets, and rings). I slowly approached other stores in the New England area. I’m now in small boutique stores throughout New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont, Connecticut and Cape Cod.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

My goal is to make this my retirement career. I have been writing/editing for decades. Making jewelry is a lot more fun!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.geographicgems.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/geo_graphic_gems
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/geographic/

Image Credits
Marcia Passos