139 - Alaskan Life Hair Barrette

Life IN ALASKA Alaskan Hair Barrette

Gold-Plated Hardware

These Barrettes are bold in scale, but grounded in place.

Each piece is handcrafted using materials from Nature in Alaska. Each material is ethically sourced from locations across the state.

The Forget-Me-Not flowers are from Kassandra's own cutting garden of wildflowers in Alaska. She decided to start her cutting garden to fill her home with fresh blooms all summer and into the fall. She found that wild bee populations near her home would seek out her flowers and pollinate them, as nature designed.

Sockeye Salmon is known for its strength, endurance, and return—traveling great distances to complete its cycle. In these earrings, the skin is honored as a material rather than discarded; it is thoughtfully transformed into a wearable surface that carries both history and intention. Each salmon is caught by Kassandra, her family, or close friends. 

Glaciers have shaped the landscape of Alaska over millions of years. When these gentle giants progress and recede, the moving ice slides over the mineral structures underneath them, creating glacier silt, fine inorganic particles. These micro-particles settle in water deposits and on riverbeds formed by water melting from the glaciers themselves. I collect small samples of these deposits, thoroughly clean them, and put them into my art. Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau and the Knik Glacier in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley give their silt to make my art. 

Our 24k gold leaf lays over a base of twin glaciers' silt. A nod to the long history of Gold mining in Alaska, the Last Frontier. 

Spruce trees grow long and strong in Alaska. They are an iconic part of the state because these evergreens thrive throughout the southern part of the state south of the Arctic Circle. Their tips make medicine and tea, and their boughs offer protection and beauty. And who doesn't love the smell of Pine? 

Blue Mussel Shells can be found on every coast of Alaska. These stunning shells create a sharp but stunning blue landscape. They lend themselves to tide pool creatures to hide in when the tide goes out. 

The Crab Shell Studs are inspired by the vibrant orange of crab at dinnertime. I've always loved the bright color of one of Alaska's most revered ocean occupants. No part of these tasty bites were wasted. 

The Walrus  Dust in our studs comes from the process of creating pieces from walrus tusk and fossilized walrus tusk. The variation in color comes from natural variation in walrus tusks and the mineral composition of the fossilized pieces. 

Dark baleen dust is collected from the carving of baleen into earrings. This would otherwise go to waste, something Native Alaskans pride themselves on avoiding. Every part is a piece of something we cherish and hold gratitude for. 

Alaskan jade dust studs are the result of saving what would be otherwise swept up. 

The size gives these a strong presence while maintaining a clean, minimal aesthetic. Finished with gold-plated hardware, these were designed for comfort, security, and confident everyday wear.

Bold, tactile, and deeply rooted, these are meant to be worn as a statement—one that speaks quietly but clearly.

ARTIST BIO

Kassandra Aki-Eyre is an Inupiaq artist and certified Silver Hand artist, born and raised in Alaska. She is a tribal member of the Native Village of Kotzebue and creates work under her jewelry label Modern Indigenous, where contemporary design meets ancestral materials and northern landscapes.

Her work explores themes of time, place, and transformation—drawing inspiration from fish camps, glaciers, coastlines, and the quiet strength of Arctic and subarctic environments. Using materials such as silver, gold-fill, gold-plated metals, stone, shell, salmon skin, glacial silt, resin, fur, ivory, bone, and naturally sourced elements, Kassandra creates jewelry that honors material integrity while presenting a refined, modern aesthetic.

Each piece is designed and handcrafted in Alaska with intention and respect—allowing the land and water to remain present in the work.

One of a Kind | Handmade in Alaska

These one-of-a-kind cufflinks feature authentic Alaskan materials, carefully prepared and preserved to showcase their natural patterns and organic textures. Each circular cufflink face highlights the distinctive markings of the materials, creating a subtle yet striking surface that reflects movement and life in Alaska. 

Set in gold-plated barrette findings, these pieces balance refined form with meaningful materials, making them ideal for special occasions, formal wear, or as a distinctive heirloom accessory. Each piece is unique, and natural variations in pattern and tone are embraced as part of the design.

Details

• Authentic materials, ethically sourced and preserved

• Circular faces

• Gold-Plated Hardware

• Natural variation in texture and pattern

• One-of-a-kind; each has natural variations in color, texture, and presentation

• Handmade in Alaska