When you think of jewellery, you might picture sparkling diamonds or sleek gold chains. OLOS has other ideas: tiny tomatoes, playful peas, even šakotis cake cast in silver. What began as founder Beatričė Eidukytė’s search for a place to belong has evolved into a jewellery universe where memories, obsessions, and everyday delights become wearable art. In her hands, each piece carries a story, a wink, and sometimes – even a craving for summer vegetables.
OLOS comes from the Lithuanian word for cave. What were you hiding from when you started it?
Perhaps I wasn’t hiding, but searching for a place where I felt I belonged. More than ten years ago, I moved to Vilnius from a small town and felt quite lonely. Around that time, I visited my relatives – my mother’s cousin Marius, who had a jewellery workshop. He introduced me to jewellery and that’s when my love for it began.
From that moment on, jewellery ideas started circling in my mind, and eventually I couldn’t stop them. That workshop gave me a beginning, freedom, and a very strong feeling – the feeling of a cave. It was a place where things take shape slowly, away from noise, accompanied by good food and great conversations. It was a place where I felt good.
I kept returning there for years whenever I needed that feeling again. Later, I deepened my knowledge at the jewellery school Vilnensis, where I experienced the same sense of being in the right place.
Is jewellery more like armour, decoration, or a tiny secret you wear in public?
Probably a bit of all three. Jewellery can protect (especially my šakotis ring hehe), decorate, and hold something very personal. I like to think that when you need something, a piece of jewellery can give it to you in its own quiet way.
What was the very first piece you ever made – and would you still be brave enough to wear it today?
Back in art school, whenever I couldn’t decide what to create, I would draw a little symbol, like the cave spiral. So when I made my very first ring, I filled it with cave symbols. I forgot about it for many years, but recently found it again, and I actually really like it. Sometimes I even wear it and don’t mind showing it to others.
When did you realise your hobby had escalated into an actual jewellery brand?
It was about a year ago. I had been creating and experimenting for many years, but I never dared to think about turning it into a jewellery brand. I had always carried that dream with me, though.
Your pieces feel playful, but also slightly emotional. Are you trying to make people feel something, or just making things that make you happy?
When I create, I don’t usually think about how it will make someone feel. Most of the time, I have an idea in my head – often a visual image – and I just bring it to life. Once it’s made, it might mean something a little different to each person.
For example, the tomato ring came from a conversation with my sister, who is a big tomato fan. It just popped into my head that I should make a tomato ring. When I made it, it gained a meaning of love for me too. My parents send me tomatoes every summer from 300 kilometers away, and when I eat them, I feel loved. I’m also a foodie, and nothing beats the taste of a homegrown tomato – it always reminds me of my sister.
I like to leave room for each person to find their own symbolism. The tomato ring could even be a playful nod to someone who’s allergic to tomatoes.
Some jewellery screams wealth. Yours whispers inside joke. Is that intentional?
Sometimes. That’s exactly how the šakotis ring came to life.
When you start designing, what shows up first: a shape, a memory, or a random obsession you can’t shake?
It’s a mix. Most of the time, a visual idea or shape pops into my head first, sometimes inspired by a memory, and other times by a small obsession I just can’t shake. I like to follow that spark and see where it leads, letting the piece take shape naturally.
The Tomato ring came from tomatoes in your parents’ greenhouse. Is your design process basically: see vegetable → turn into silver? And be honest, do you have an obsession with tomatoes?
Sometimes it does feel that way. I get inspired by small, everyday things – a vegetable, a memory, or a little obsession – and see where it takes me.
And yes, I admit it: I have one. Lately, I’ve been going to the market looking for beautiful tomatoes just for fun, and I’ve even made a few large decorative ones. I started imagining a pop-up where my jewellery could be displayed alongside oversized decorative tomatoes, and I’ve already begun creating them. You can see the first of them in the photoshoot.
Why do tomatoes deserve to become jewellery? Defend them.
Tomatoes are tiny, juicy works of art, and honestly, who wouldn’t want a bit of edible happiness turned into silver? They remind me of summer, family, and the simple joys of life. Plus, if a tomato can survive 300 kilometers, it definitely deserves a place on your finger.
Good defence – tomatoes are safe now. Do people ever look at your rings and get hungry?
Yes, definitely! People often laugh and say they want to take a bite.
If someone robbed your jewellery box, would it look more like a farmer’s market or a pantry?
Right now, it’s definitely more like a farmer’s market. I’m in the middle of creating my ‘edible or not’ collection, so there’s a playful mix of pieces everywhere.
The šakotis ring is a Lithuanian cake turned into silver. Who was the first person to realise cake could be jewellery?
Actually, I have a group chat with my friends where we talk about all sorts of life moments. One day we were brainstorming what I could create next, and my friend Greta – credit to her – suggested I make a šakotis, and I went ahead and did it.
Do you see your pieces as tiny edible-looking souvenirs from Lithuania?
Sometimes, yes. The šakotis ring is playful and definitely a little taste of Lithuania, but I like to think that my other pieces can carry a deeper meaning and story beyond just being a souvenir.
What Lithuanian object hasn’t been turned into jewellery yet but absolutely should be?
There are so many! Traditional Lithuanian textiles and patterns are full of inspiration. Seeing the Kaziukas fair nearby, I can’t help but think a ‘verba’ would make a beautiful and playful piece. And talking about edible things – maybe a potato plant, a bowl of šaltibarščiai… I could go on and on.
Your work is handmade in sterling silver. What part of the process feels the most satisfying – and what part makes you question your life choices?
This collection is in sterling silver, but I’ve also worked with gold and brass, and I’m eager to explore more materials. For me, design is the most important part of jewellery – even more than the material it’s made from. You won’t see that in this collection, but the trickiest part for me is setting tiny stones – that’s when I really question my life choices. And of course, when things don’t go as planned, it’s frustrating. I tried many times to make my tomato ring red, but I didn’t like how it looked, so it’s in silver for now – but I will definitely keep experimenting.
How often do brilliant ideas turn into complete disasters once metal enters the conversation?
Most of the time, the ideas that reach the metal stage don’t turn into complete disasters. But fairly often, I realize I don’t know how to translate an idea into metal – and for me, that feels like a little disaster.
Which OLOS piece feels the most like your personality in physical form?
Right now, I would say the Pea Ring. It’s playful, curious, and a little unpredictable.
Cute! And which design confused you the most when people suddenly loved it?
I think the first tomato ring. I made it, but I wasn’t sure if people would actually wear it, since it’s quite chunky and unusual – but I’m glad they do.
Do you actually wear your own jewellery daily, or are you secretly loyal to one boring ring?
I do wear my own jewellery every day, but I always change it. It really depends on my mood. Over the years of making jewellery and learning, I’ve created quite a lot of pieces for myself – which I don’t do much anymore. So my collection ranges from simple brass pieces to rings with gemstones, and now also tomato, lemon, and other playful rings. Sometimes I wear just one very simple ring, and sometimes a lot of everything at once. I also love to wear other jewellers’ designs.
Your jewellery universe already includes tomatoes, peas, peppers and šakotis. When are we getting the cepelinai ring?
Haha! I can see a cepelinai-on-a-plate ring maybe one day, if someone wants to wear it. But honestly, I don’t see it happening right now. I don’t plan to turn all traditional dishes into jewellery… but you never know.
Photography by Julia VargalyteInterview by Paula-Stina TasaneJewellery by OLOSMUAH by Samanta BuzaitėModel Kamilė Kareivaitė