"MAII Amo” in a Native American language translates as “find your path.” This is exactly what Fiorella Pallas, a former marketing director from the US, did when she began specializing in designing a form of jewelry that carries messages. In fact, she has been so far taken away by the concept that she has also named her unique brand of jewelry “Maii Amo.”
“My mission is to design jewelry that can connect the exterior dimensions of human beings to their inner dimensions... What I have discovered since I changed is that we should look inside our souls for happiness, not from the outside,” said Pallas.
“Through designing jewelry, I try to convey a message to people, especially women... that happiness does not simply come to us, we have to work for it and dig for it inside our souls. We always look for role models in others, although we have great powers within us,” she added.
Five years ago Fiorella Pallas was a successful marketing director. She had many friends and lots of money, but felt something was missing from her life. Pallas decided to quit and went on a sabbatical leave with her children to Arizona, where she met an old Native American man, who played a role in her “change.”
“He told me it’s time for me to wake up and that I had many things to do. I didn’t understand what he meant, as at that time I didn’t have any belief. I didn’t even believe in spirituality. I was a materialistic woman,” said Pallas, adding that it was then that she realized that she needed to be in control of her life.
“I was sent by the Native American to a place, which they considered sacred. He told me that it’s time for me to meditate,” she said, adding that she was sent to a canyon called Sedona where she spent four to five hours, of which she recalls nothing.
“After that I started dreaming of designing jewelry... At that time I knew nothing about designing or about stones, but I felt that was my destiny,” she said.
After meditating, Pallas returned to the old Native American man crying as she did not know how and where to start. “He comforted me and told me not to worry, as the whole universe is around me and that I needed to follow the signs,” said Pallas, adding that it was then that, with the help of designers, she began designing jewelry that she would see in her dreams.
Pallas also began studying physics, shapes and gems. She also undertook a degree in crystals. “Then I had to study color, as I started seeing them in my dreams and I wanted to know what they mean... I had many color enamels through which I could relate to a person’s desires and moods,” she said, adding that the colors people choose tells a lot about them.
Fiorella Pallas thinks she has touched many people’s lives. She says there is a great tendency in many parts of the world to understand and own the jewelry she creates.
“I hold conferences, especially in Italy, where women discovered the need for the spiritual path. What I am doing is new, although jewelry has played a great role throughout history,” she said.
Pallas added she is fascinated with the role of jewelry in ancient Egypt and says she has read extensively on the subject, although she has never visited Egypt. “It’s a long story, I know everything about Egypt, but I am not ready to go there yet. It’s like wanting to meet someone important to you, someone who has had a great impact on your life. You feel you have to be very prepared and ready,” she said.
Her visit to the Kingdom, during the recently held Nawafeth-Soglie Exhibition, is her first encounter with the Arab world. Pallas said she has been curious to meet people and see that there is a great similarity between people in their love and appreciation for art in general.
“It’s so beautiful to see that we all speak the same language, the language of art. The first law in the universe is movement and it tends to be in balance. So we — as human beings — are like a row of diamonds with many facets, we need to work on polishing and shaping ourselves, to see, learn and use jewelry like travel-mates along our journey,” she said, adding, “It’s satisfying for me to see people, who bought my jewelry, to return and buy more. I keep in touch with most of them through my Facebook account on the Internet.
