The Pirate + The Gypsy Jewelry

Jewelry designer in New Westminster, British Columbia

https://facebook.com/thepirateandthegypsyjewelry

http://www.thepirateandthegypsy.com/

56 Merivale St #105, New Westminster, BC V3L 2P6

604-553-1937

The Pirate + The Gypsy Jewelry

About Us


The Pirate + The Gypsy is a tale of adventure and a longing for true and unconditional love. Paula and Joel Godden met in 2010 and from the moment they met, this creative pair formed an instant connection. Without letting their past get in the way, Paula and Joel chose to walk their journey together and out of their desire to create and inspire came The Pirate + The Gypsy.


The pirate side of their name is a belief. It reflects a way of living based on freedom of spirit and freedom to choose your own path. Pirate is also a fun peek into the history of Paula and Joel’s relationship. Their first dates were at the Pirate Pub, their first vacation together and where they were married was in Bahia de Banderas (The Bay of Pirates).


Paula and Joel have chosen to follow their passions and focus on doing the things they love. Together they are on a creative journey.


The Pirate + The Gypsy is not just a business, it is two sides of a coin which represent a whole. The Gypsy is a reflection of Paula’s free spiritedness and beliefs, as well as who she is as a Greek, Polish and Romani woman. Paula was always taught to be proud of her heritage and family history. Her mom is Athenian and Roma and her dad Polish Roma. She personally believes that like a coin, the word Gypsy has two sides.


When the Roma people left India in the 11th century, the Europeans mistook them as Egyptian. Gypsy became a word used to describe the Roma people through centuries of oppression. To her, the word Gypsy reflects pain, a difficult journey and the resilience of the Roma people and my own family.


As a Romani woman, Paula has not forgotten where the word Gypsy came from and she will not ignore the oppression and racism her ancestors faced. But she has chosen to flip that coin. Paula wants to embrace the new meaning of this word. How wonderful it is when we can change how future generations will come to understand a word. The word Gypsy once meant something hurtful and now it is a word that represents freedom and inspiration. Paula will continue to share the story of the Romani people, but she will also inspire others to follow their dreams and live their adventure.


Paula and Joel are creating their own journey and the story of their journey goes into every piece of jewellery they design. They love what they do and they love being a small part of your journey. Whether it is through a custom-designed piece or remaking an existing bracelet or necklace–they want to leave a positive impression on your life. Paula and Joel want their customers to feel the passion for what they do and come back again and again.


The Pirate + The Gypsy is not just a style, it is who they are. Their free-spiritedness, their love of beauty, nature, the ocean and life drives the direction of their designs and their business.