Ukrainian Folklore Inspires Guzema’s Charming New Collection: A Beacon of Light in Gold and Diamonds
In a world that often feels heavy with the complexities of modern life, there is a profound longing for the simplicity, magic, and moral clarity of childhood tales. For Valeriya Guzema, the founder of the Kyiv-based fine jewelry house Guzema Fine Jewelry, this longing has manifested in a breathtaking new capsule collection titled “Once Upon a Time.”
Debuting just in time for the holiday season, this collection is not merely an assortment of accessories; it is a heartfelt act of cultural preservation. Valeriya Guzema has lovingly re-created images from her childhood, steeped in Ukrainian folklore, transforming ancient symbols of justice, resilience, and transformation into wearable art. The collection invites wearers to step into a realm where the enchanted mirror, the magic egg, and the bird girl are not just characters in a story, but tangible tokens of identity and hope.
A Modern Talisman: Weaving Heritage into Gold
The “Once Upon a Time” collection arrives at a poignant moment in history. As Ukraine continues to fight for its freedom and identity, the preservation of its cultural DNA has become a form of resistance and a source of strength. Guzema says the collection was born from a desire to find light amid darkness, using the “archetypes” that people in her home country encounter daily in their collective memory.
“When I was little, books seemed to be a space where the world felt bigger, kinder, and full of possibility,” says the designer, reflecting on the origins of the collection. “In Ukraine, folktales are definitely a cultural phenomenon. They’re woven into childhood almost by default: You don’t necessarily ‘discover’ them, you grow up inside them.”
This immersion in storytelling is what gives the collection its “soul.” The jewelry avoids the trap of becoming costumey or overly literal. Instead, it maintains the brand’s signature minimalist aesthetic—clean lines, high-quality 18k gold, and precision-set diamonds—while imbuing each curve and setting with centuries of narrative weight.
Valeriya adds, “I was raised on them, not only through books but through voices—my grandmother’s stories, family rituals, the everyday magic that was simply part of how we lived.” By translating these oral traditions into gold, Guzema creates modern talismans. A piece of jewelry, she notes, is always tied to the wearer’s story—why they bought it, why they wear it, and what it says to the world.
The Icons of the Collection: Stories Frozen in Diamonds
The motifs for “Once Upon a Time” seemed to select themselves. When Valeriya and her team began delving into the vast archive of Ukrainian folktales, certain images stood out not just for their narrative importance, but for their inherent artistic beauty. These symbols appear across different regions of Ukraine, acting as a shared visual language that unites the country from the Carpathians to the steppes.
The Bird Girl (Potya): A Symbol of Transformation
“The bird felt especially important,” Valeriya explains. “In our folklore, birds often act as messengers, protectors, or guides. They carry wisdom, bring news, help the hero transform or find their way back home. There is something profoundly tender and universal about that.”
The central character of the collection is Potya, the bird girl. Rooted in the mystical tales of the Zakarpattia (Transcarpathia) region in western Ukraine, Potya represents the dual nature of the feminine spirit: grounded yet free, soft yet fiercely resilient.
The Bird Girl brooch is cited as Guzema’s favorite piece in the collection. It is designed to rest on the shoulder like a tiny, shimmering guardian. “Potya represents transformation, loyalty, and inner wisdom,” says Guzema. “When we worked on this piece, I wanted it to carry that softness and strength at the same time. The moment I pinned the first sample onto my shoulder, it immediately felt like a companion—light and poetic.”
The bird is a reminder of freedom and intuition—qualities that adults often lose sight of in the grind of daily responsibility. By wearing Potya, one is reminded to look upward and trust in the “lightness” of being.
The Enchanted Mirror: Revealing Hidden Truths
Jewelry has always been about reflection, but Guzema takes this literally with the Enchanted Mirror pieces. Inspired by a mid-19th-century tale from Ukraine’s Podolia (Podillia) region, these pieces evoke the magical mirrors found in folklore that do not merely show a physical reflection, but reveal hidden truths and alternate realities.
The design is masterfully executed in a pair of drop earrings. Diamond-covered oval pendants mimic the shimmering, mysterious surface of a magic mirror. Perched atop this “glass” is a small, golden bird, acting as a sentinel guarding the portal into the unseen world. It is a poetic metaphor for self-reflection: looking past the surface to see the truth of one’s own soul.
The Magic Egg: Secrets of the Uman Region
Perhaps the most intricate piece in terms of mechanism and meaning is the Magic Egg locket. This design is drawn from a tale recorded in 1869 in the Uman region, a story centered on the concept of the “Yaytse-Raytse” or magic egg that contains an entire world or a great treasure within it.
In Guzema’s interpretation, the magic egg becomes a functional locket necklace. True to the tale, the egg opens, allowing the wearer to place something deeply meaningful inside—a photograph, a memory, or a personal amulet. Sitting atop the locket is a pair of larks. In the original folklore, the lark is considered the king of birds, a solar symbol bringing the spring. The piece is a celebration of life’s hidden potential and the precious memories we carry within us, protected by a shell of gold.
Passing the Torch: The “Once Upon a Time Mini” Collection
Understanding that folklore is primarily a gift passed from elder to child, Guzema has simultaneously launched a “Mini” version of the collection. This line is specifically aimed at children, offering them their first piece of “grown-up” jewelry that serves as a protective talisman.
“This collection is about the warm connections between generations and the gentle ways we pass down what truly matters,” Valeriya says. “About how fairy tales shape our cultural codes and imprint our understanding of goodness, bravery, and love.”
The children’s line features scaled-down versions of the key motifs—stars, birds, fish, and rabbits—crafted with the same attention to detail and material quality (18k gold and diamonds) as the main line. By gifting a child a piece from this collection, parents are not just giving a trinket; they are offering a physical connection to their heritage and a symbol of hope for the future. It reflects a desire to armor the next generation with beauty and the resilience embedded in their ancestors’ stories.
The Skyward Tree: Preserving the Oral Tradition
Guzema Fine Jewelry understands that the visuals of folklore are meaningless without the stories that breathe life into them. To ensure these tales survive in their authentic form, the brand has collaborated with the Kyiv-based publisher Osnovy Publishing to release a special edition book titled “The Skyward Tree” (Дерево до неба).
This beautifully illustrated volume is offered as a gift with the purchase of an item from the main or mini collection. It contains 12 traditional Ukrainian folktales, carefully curated from different regions of the country.
“For us, this book is as meaningful as the pieces themselves,” Valeriya asserts. “It anchors the collection in real cultural heritage and allows people to engage with the original tales, not just their visual interpretations.”
The book includes stories like “The Magic Egg” and “The Bird Girl,” preserving them in their original spirit. In a commendable move that highlights the brand’s commitment to social responsibility, the project goes beyond commerce. While the book is a gift for customers, the initiative is tied to the Guzema Foundation. The foundation, established by Valeriya, has been instrumental in providing humanitarian aid and equipment to the military since the full-scale invasion began. By keeping these stories alive, the brand fights on the cultural front, ensuring that the Ukrainian identity remains vibrant and indestructible.
Jewelry with a Soul: The Guzema Philosophy
“Storytelling feels essential,” Guzema notes, summarizing the ethos of the new collection. “It gives a piece of soul and turns an object into something alive. Folklore, in this sense, is a natural part of jewelry.”
In the luxury market, where brands often rely on logos or abstract designs, Guzema’s approach stands out for its emotional depth. She views folktales as the “emotional DNA” of a culture, carrying its archetypes, humor, and wisdom. Using them as inspiration was not a calculated artistic decision for her, but rather an act of “honoring something we all carry inside.”
Whether it is the Bird Girl guiding a wearer through a transformation, or the Enchanted Mirror reminding a woman of her inner truth, these pieces serve as armor for the modern soul. They are reminders that even in the darkest of winters—both literal and metaphorical—the sun, the moon, and the stars remain. Through the Once Upon a Time collection, Valeriya Guzema has proven that while empires may rise and fall, the magic of a good story, cast in gold, lasts forever.
