Shemaine Bushnell Kyriakides
There are some people you meet and instantly feel you've known forever.
That's how it was when I first met Penelope Marathovouniotis almost ten years ago.
We had been introduced through a mutual friend, and we hit it off almost immediately, as if we'd known each other for years. Our conversation flowed effortlessly, from her jewelry designs to Cyprus, its history, its symbols, and the quiet, almost mystical energy that many people feel on the island and which has become an unmistakable thread running through her work.
It may sound difficult to explain unless you've experienced it yourself.
Cyprus has always felt like a magical place to me. On some summer nights, when the moon is full, the light is so bright that olive trees, stone walls, and wild shrubs cast shadows as if it were daylight. There is something ancient in the air here. Perhaps it's because every civilization that crossed the Mediterranean left part of its soul behind. Or perhaps it's because Cyprus has always been an island where myth and history have comfortably lived side by side.
Penelope understands that feeling instinctively.
It lives in everything she creates.
One of my favorite pieces she designed is a scarab necklace, paired with matching earrings. Like many people, I first associated the scarab with ancient Egypt, where it symbolized renewal, protection, and transformation. But what many don't realize is that scarab beetles are also native to Cyprus, quietly linking two ancient worlds across the Mediterranean.
That is what Penelope does so beautifully.
She finds connections most of us never notice.
Her jewelry isn't simply designed to be admired. It is designed to be understood.
Every ring, pendant, or bracelet carries a fragment of Cyprus...a symbol, a tradition, a story, or a belief that has survived for centuries.
"I don't create jewelry simply to be worn," she tells me. "I create pieces that carry stories and emotions."
When you speak to Penelope, it quickly becomes clear that she isn't interested in following fashion trends.
She is preserving memories.
Long before she became one of Cyprus' best-known jewelry designers, she already knew exactly what she wanted to be.
"As a child, I would stand in front of the mirror pretending someone was interviewing me," she laughs. "They would ask me what I did for a living, and I would always answer, 'I'm a goldsmith.'"
That childhood certainty never disappeared.
Today, every collection begins not with gold or gemstones but with an idea.
Sometimes it starts with a feeling.
Sometimes with an ancient symbol discovered in a museum.
Other times it's an old embroidery pattern, a weathered church icon, the colors of the Mediterranean, or a memory that quietly refuses to leave her mind.
"I rarely sit down thinking I'm going to design a ring," she says. "Usually an idea stays with me for a while until I understand how it wants to become jewelry."
Growing up in Cyprus made that almost inevitable.
"This island isn't just where I live," she says. "It's where my imagination was shaped."
Few places in the world carry as many layers of history in such a small space.
Ancient kingdoms.
Greek mythology.
Byzantine churches.
Venetian architecture.
Traditional Lefkara embroidery.
Centuries of craftsmanship passed from one generation to the next.
For Penelope, these are not museum pieces frozen in time.
They are living stories waiting to be retold.
That is why Byzantine icons appear in contemporary necklaces.
Ancient scarabs become elegant pendants.
Traditional filigree is given a modern interpretation.
Every symbol is carefully chosen, not simply because it is beautiful, but because it means something.
"I believe people connect more deeply with jewelry when they understand the story behind it," she says. "Whether it's a symbol of love, strength, hope, protection, or new beginnings, I want each piece to resonate in a personal way."
Perhaps that's why so many of her customers don't buy her jewelry simply because it catches their eye.
They buy it because something about it speaks to them.
I understand exactly what she means.
Over the years, I've collected several of her pieces, and they have become more than jewelry tucked away in a box.
One day they will belong to my daughter.
Just as I treasure pieces passed down from my own grandmother, these will become part of our family's story, objects that quietly carry memories from one generation to the next.
That's something increasingly rare today.
In a world of fast fashion and mass production, heirlooms have become almost old-fashioned.
Penelope wants to bring them back.
"I hope my jewelry becomes something people treasure, not only because it's beautiful but also because it becomes intertwined with their own story," she says.
Every design begins with her own sketches.
She personally develops each collection, carefully selecting the metals, gemstones, and proportions before working alongside master goldsmiths, stone setters, and enamel artists to bring her vision to life.
Nothing leaves the workshop until it feels exactly right.
"I don't rush the process," she says. "Every piece has to feel balanced and meaningful."
That philosophy eventually earned her one of the greatest honors of her career.
The Republic of Cyprus commissioned Penelope to create the official sterling silver gifts presented to diplomats and distinguished guests during Cyprus's presidency of the Council of the European Union.
Inspired by Lefkara embroidery and Cyprus' artistic heritage, the collection included bookmarks, brooches, and cufflinks that traveled the world representing the island.
For Penelope, it was far more than professional recognition.
"It encouraged me to continue creating jewelry that celebrates Cyprus," she says.
Her greatest wish, however, reaches beyond her own collections.
She hopes younger generations will rediscover the craftsmanship, symbols, and traditions that shaped Cyprus for centuries.
"I believe these traditions are living heritage," she says. "They deserve to be preserved and carried into the future."
Perhaps that's why walking into her boutique feels different.
You're not simply choosing a necklace.
You're choosing a story.
A piece of Cyprus.
Something that may one day be passed to a child or grandchild, carrying with it not only precious metals and gemstones but love, memory and identity.
And perhaps that is Penelope's greatest achievement.
She doesn't just design jewelry.
She quietly ensures that Cyprus' stories continue to be worn, remembered, and passed on.
