by Rita Weinstein
Quincie Hamby has a host of interests and passions, all connected to her love of travel. At the intersection of her interest in exotic cultures and people and her passion for art and design is the exquisite jewelry she creates. “I am always working on new lines that express my attachment with others and the world beyond my doorstep. These places are echoed in my work, from the fragrant plumeria leis of Hawaii to the stones and shells of other faraway mountains and beaches.” Every creation is an original piece of wearable art.
Another passion of Quincie’s is human suffering, particularly the suffering caused by being caught up in human trafficking. Having worked hard to establish herself as a successful jewelry artist through all the twists and turns of a full life, she often reflects on the inner resources it took to get her where she is. She is deeply aware that not everyone is blessed with the childhood influences that make a person strong, resourceful, and able to make good decisions. Without those influences, circumstances can lead to bad choices, and “making just one bad choice can pile up on you to where there’s no going back.”
Gratitude led to a wish to give back. She began with a fundraiser in the fall of 2016 for the LeMoyne Center for Visual Arts for which she created a line of jewelry called “Pearls for Human Trafficking.” The jewelry was so popular, she then offered it at another fundraiser at the Turnbull Center. These beautiful necklaces, earrings, and bracelets now have a permanent home with Quincie’s other fabulous creations at the As You Wish Boutique, owned and operated by Courtney Glazer.
The necklaces, bracelets, and earrings are made of shell beads that are coated in a paste made of ground nacre, the substance that gives pearls their creamy luster. Each necklace is fastened with a colorful, signature wire mesh ribbon. Twenty-five percent of each sale of her Pearls line is donated to the Survive and Thrive Advocacy Center.
In fact, the entire staff at As You Wish has given great support to STAC, for which we are forever thankful. Mary Ellen Lang spearheaded the sale of Christmas ornaments this past winter as a fundraiser for us.
Quincie’s work and As You Wish are two examples of how the business and arts communities can step up and help trafficking victims. STAC is working hard to build alliances with the private sector as well as throughout the social services community and the justice system. Please contact Robin Hassler Thompson at STAC if you would like to join with STAC. robin@surviveandthriveadvocacy.org
Quincy Hamby Jewelry Collections is located in the AS YOU WISH boutique, a great place to find artful clothing with attitude and fantastic jewelry. They are located in Glenview Square, 2030 Thomasville Road, next to Tallahassee Decorative Fabrics. Call for directions (850) 566-8690. Open Tuesday through Saturday, 11 am to 6 pm.
Rita Weinstein is a technical writer and editor who enjoys creative writing and has a passion for helping the hungry, homeless, and vulnerable. Her novel Profit & Loss (available on Amazon) is a thriller based on her 16 years of volunteering at a food pantry and soup kitchen in her former north Seattle neighborhood. She also is a published playwright. Camelot Court is a coming of age drama set in a trailer park in south Florida during the Cuban missile crisis. Something Fishy This Way Comes is a modern comic update of Hamlet and has been performed in high schools across the country. She has also won awards as writer and producer of the short film comedy Vinnie & Angela’s Beauty Salon and Funeral Parlor (available for viewing online). She is currently writing the sequel to Profit & Loss, another social justice thriller.
