Like most children, I had a collection of rocks – mostly unidentifiable but pretty – that were special to me. Unlike most children, my love of rocks and minerals grew as I became an adult. The interest in rocks turned into curiosity about their make up, which led me to serious study and eventually a B.S. in Earth Sciences.

Since playing with pretty rocks didn’t seem like a realistic career path, I chose to do graduate studies in the field of Geotechnical Engineering and received a Masters degree from UC Berkeley in that field. This in turn led me to a career putting my education to work studying and planning for geologic hazards, including earthquakes and volcanoes. Meanwhile, my pretty rock collection continued to grow and I started to make jewelry for myself and friends. I realized that my study of minerals gave me a unique perspective on stones in the form of gems suitable for jewelry, and I started down the path of making and selling pieces myself. I started my business, Mochi’s Gifts, in January, 2003.

I decided I wanted to learn more about the beautiful gems I was working with so I returned to school to learn Gemology. I completed the education and lab work required to earn my Graduate Gemologist diploma through the Gemological Institute of America in July of 2014.