Raised in an impoverished Philadelphia neighborhood, Lia Valencia Key lived in a homeless shelter with her mother, sister, and brother in a room she describes as the size of a broom closet. “My mom told me my predicament did not determine my destiny. She believed I had a light inside that I should never let dim. She encouraged me to never leave the house without wearing my sparkling earrings, because they would serve as reminders of the light within me.”

Lia went on to rise above her challenges and attained a master’s degree, became a licensed cosmetologist and stylist. “I learned that all dreams are possible, and my mother’s words inspired me to choose joy and radiate my light.” Those keys to happiness are the messages she spreads through Valencia Key Jewelry today. The mission of Valencia Key Jewelry is for all wearers to not only choose joy and light, but to also shine and reflect that light outwardly, as to positively affect all of those around them.

A resonating message of Valencia Key Jewelry is “If I can, you can.” The ethos of the brand is a stylized key, meant to represent the philosophy that Joy and gratitude are the key to happiness. It is the center of the design and life philosophy.