When I held the second issue of BRICKA magazine in my hands and turned to the back cover, I stood in my studio and wept happy tears.
There it was. A diamond set into a LEGO® stud, right on the back cover. A tribute to me I never saw coming, and I will never forget. My two worlds-fine jewelry and LEGO®-together in print forever. That moment alone would have been enough. But there were also twelve pages devoted to my work inside. Twelve pages!
About BRICKA
BRICKA is a stunning new magazine only in its second issue. It's essentially Dwell meets LEGO®. Created by the incredibly talented Sam Aquillano, BRICKA was built to be a space where creativity, play, and design coexist. A place for builders, photographers, designers, and dreamers who are redefining what brick building can be. The name itself comes from the Swedish word meaning both "piece" and "tray," honoring the humble brick and the idea of a place to gather, assemble, and build upon.
When I Read the Article — I Thought: Who Is This Awesome Woman?
Sam is such a gifted writer. When I read the article "Color, Cut, and Clarity The Resonant Jewelry of JacQueline Sanchez," I genuinely felt like I was reading about someone else. Someone I admired. Oh, but it's me!
Sam wrote about my journey with such care and precision. He captured things I have felt for the past 25 years.
"JacQueline Sanchez transforms LEGO bricks into fine jewelry set with real diamonds. Her work blends nostalgia with master jeweler craftsmanship, turning a familiar object into wearable art that sparks recognition, memory, and conversation."
He wrote about my eureka moment at Toys "R" Us. Walking in and feeling all those childhood memories rush back without warning. He wrote about how I tested the brick in the beginning by cutting it, sanding it, drilling into it, and discovering it behaved with a consistency, and how I fell in love with it immediately.
Some Highlights From the Article
Sam wrote beautifully about how LEGO changed not just my work but my entire relationship with making. After years of working under pressure in traditional jewelry, LEGO brought joy back into my studio.
"I never realized that I could have fun doing what I was doing, so it's just such a gift."
He also captured that magical moment that happens when someone sees my jewelry for the first time—that lean-in, that squint, that smile.
Is that a LEGO? Is that… a diamond?
That moment is everything to me. It's why I do what I do.
Exclusive Photos — Yours First
The photographer, Fletcher of Fletcher World Photography who came to my studio was so generous — and so talented. The photos inside BRICKA are beautiful, but he also gave me images that are not in the magazine. You are seeing them here first and only.
Go Subcribe and Read the Full Article
These are just the highlights. The full article is something special — beautiful writing, stunning photography and a story I am so honored to be part of.
Please visit BRICKAmag.com to subscribe to this wonderful, inspiring magazine and read the full article. BRICKA is the kind of publication that makes you want to build something, create something, wear something beautiful.
Building beauty, brick by brick,
JacQ