San Francisco - October 17, 2006

My Name Is Early

Early Jewelry

Sometimes it takes a coastal eye to appreciate inland beauty.

For instance: The Beach Boys astutely observed that Midwest farmers’ daughters really make you feel alright.

So not surprisingly, Kansas jewelry designer Kylie Earlene Grater is about to attract some serious attention in these parts.

Handcrafted near her hometown, Grater’s designs combine the rural simplicity of life on the plains with a smidge of worldliness. Her line is split into two collections: the sweet (slightly sassy) P.M. collection, which readapts vintage objects, like leather horse pendants made from recycled belts and Ten Commandment charms, into one-of-a-kind baubles; and the simple, almost primitive A.M. pieces, which are made with earthy materials like bone, feather, wood, and leather.

Fittingly, the pieces carry a reasonable price tag (nothing is over $100).

Making you wish that, when it comes to who is setting the price, they all could be Kansas girls.

Available at Virginia Howells, 2839 24th Street, between Bryant and York Streets (415-647-2082); online at earlyjewelry.com.