For Sonia, creating has never been a choice — it’s been a calling. “I’ve always created… obsessively,” she tells OracleME with a warm laugh, reflecting on a lifelong devotion to colour, texture, and self-expression through her hands.
Sonia completed her first tapestry at just six years old. What followed was an ever-expanding universe of creative forms: cross-stitch, petite point, appliqué, felt stitching, card making. “At university, I took up knitting,” she recalls. “I challenged myself to make one garment per month, each one bursting with colour and experimental stitches. And I did it, for a full year.”
Even while working in the corporate world, Sonia’s creativity never dimmed. She began designing her own suits and shirts, always with an eye for detail — matching hairpieces, shoes, and striking, unusual buttons. When the scrunchie trend hit, she took it further: producing hundreds of handmade sets with matching earrings. Friends became enthusiastic sellers, returning for bags of 25 at a time.
“I crafted every spare minute,” she says. Her love affair with ‘paper tole’ — a three-dimensional layering art — filled her home with intricate pieces inspired by artists like Anton Pieck and Annemieke Mein. Later, she launched a themed jewellery store on eBay, a fun chapter, but still not quite hers at heart.
Everything shifted after Sonia left the corporate world in her 40s and took a breath to ask: what truly makes me happy?
The answer: crafting and creating. And from that answer, Crystalistic was born.
“I’ve always loved beautiful jewellery, crystals and gemstones, but I couldn’t afford the kind I used to buy,” she shares. “So I started making it myself, with high-quality materials, a lot of love, and my own twist on everything.”
Crystalistic is a sparkling expression of Sonia’s style and spirit. Each piece is handcrafted using Swarovski crystals, faceted gemstones, and premium metals like sterling silver, gold-fill, antique finishes and custom findings she has manufactured herself. “I especially love the custom orders,” she says. “The rarer or harder something is to find, the more determined I am to make it.”
Between teaching part-time, parenting two vibrant kids, and running to basketball, karate, and music lessons — Sonia finds peace in the hum of her creative process. “Making jewellery is my relaxation,” she says. “Each piece is packaged with intention, beautifully boxed in leatherette, ready to gift or self-indulge.”
Crystalistic jewellery is available in boutiques, online, and via in-home demonstrations — where friends gather over wine and cheese to try on sparkly treasures in a soulful, social setting.
“I take pride in what I do,” Sonia says. “My designs are always evolving. I listen, I adapt, and I’m passionate about creating beauty that people feel connected to.”
As for what’s next? “More colour, more sparkle, and always something a little bit different.”
Sonia Harkin designs and creates custom jewellery accessories using genuine Swarovski crystals, unique gemstones and quality metals. She’s passionate about custom designs and one-of-a-kind combinations.
