By Chelsea Sproul
Zoe Einbinder of Real Fruit Jewelry recently sat down with me for some coffee, bringing along some samples of her jewelry to savor. This reaction makes better sense once you’ve seen the thinly sliced fruit she so creatively styles. She’s been making a splash at local markets and boutiques, and we have certainly taken notice!
The beautiful shapes and colors of summer produce have long been a passion of Zoe’s, and she often finds inspiration in photographing fruits and veggies at the farmers market. This interest only grew when her friend returned from Chile with real, laminated lemon earrings. Until a year ago, none of this was a huge part of Zoe’s life. Then, following a job loss, she remembered the earrings. It took a few months, but she developed her own process that involves drying the fruit and sealing it in a clear resin. Now, the jewelry serves as her own “little snapshots” of the produce she once photographed for fun!
The samples Zoe brought along were beautiful, and the tomato necklace she showed me appeared, well, juicy. Although the pieces are no longer edible, the way she preserves the slices of fruit allow them to retain their original color and composition. Her current favorite fruit to work with is the blood orange, because of the color and unique pattern. The jewelry made with blood oranges are some of the most vibrant in her collection.
It’s been a year now since Zoe began Real Fruit Jewelry, and she offers an exceptional variety of pieces. She makes every piece herself, and appears at each market and event personally!
When I asked her to comment on the best part of running this business, Zoe took a moment to think about the past year and then replied she has “learned to trust [herself] while making this happen. [She] has always wanted to do this.”
The fall will be a busy season for Zoe. She has some new projects on the horizon, including adding silver-backed earrings to her collection (which are newly available) and working on a series of pieces that feature dried herbs, flowers and beans. You’ll find her at the Manayunk EcoArts Festival on September 24-25th and at the Clover Market in Ardmore on October 16th. You can access a full list of her upcoming appearances here.
Don’t miss a chance to check out Real Fruit Jewelry’s unique collection! Visit her Etsy shop, as well, by clicking here.
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