Jewelry has the mission of beautifying. Also empowering. To show ourselves as we are, to not hide, to offer ourselves real and authentic. A purpose that acquires even more strength and value when it comes to unique and artisanal pieces that want to break stigmas. In this case, a very specific one: wearing a hearing aid, which is usually associated with aging. Because this is the “brand” that is most feared and not so much the size of the hearing aid.
“There is fear, fear and complex. Glasses, in the end, have become a trendy product, there are very modern designs, it is very cool and fashionable to wear glasses... With hearing aids there is fear of rejection. Therefore, there is no greater reward for me than when people who really suffer from hearing loss thank me for being able to normalize the situation and eliminate taboos,” celebrates María de León, communication professional, humanist and promoter of the initiative. References.
Also ambassador and user of Aural, the network of hearing centers that has launched a capsule collection designed by Blanca Jewels and made up of two earrings that have followed local and sustainable production, which impose quality before quantity. Therefore, this is a line small in number, but big in impact.
“This collection symbolizes the search for beauty in that disability or problem. I think it is a wonderful initiative that they have decided to do with Blanca Jewels, apart from the fact that they are very beautiful earrings that can be worn on a daily basis. It's like pushing women to say: “Boost your self-esteem, don't have complexes. Even make your ear more visible. Wearing hearing aids is something that must be accepted naturally,” María de León emphasizes.
She is the best example that beauty and hearing loss are not at odds and fit into all possible equations of life. Without stigma or taboo. The message of the initiative is clear: hearing loss is another characteristic of our beauty and is part of what makes us unique.
The Octagonal-cut Gema earrings are made with white gold and 18-karat London Blue topaz, although there are different stone options to choose from. The Rosette earrings, with a circular design, are made of 18-karat rose gold, garnet and red diamonds.
These jewels were born in a context in which three out of every 10 people who suffer from hearing loss do not use hearing aids in Spain. This was not the case of María de Léon, who decided to find a solution immediately. “It was something progressive. Presumably, because it was not 100% confirmed, my hearing loss occurred because I went on a humanitarian trip to Africa and took a vaccine to avoid contracting malaria. That vaccine was ototoxic and something must have happened, since, as a result of that year, I began to hear worse little by little,” she says. To the point where she felt out of the world.
“I was isolating myself and, at the end, I was sad and didn't feel well. So I started having tests, until they detected a fairly severe hearing loss. To this day, I need to wear hearing aids continuously, I can't live without them,” she continues. And he found that accompaniment in Aural.
“We share values: hope, authenticity, acceptance of imperfection, feeling good about a disability you may have, being real, authentic…” he lists. “There is a Japanese concept called wabi-sabi, which means looking for beauty in imperfection. Sometimes we forget about the human... Aural not only seeks to sell, but also accompanies the person throughout the process, making them feel good. There is no greater happiness for me than being able to collaborate with companies that have a social responsibility purpose behind them,” she points out. “Also, your hearing aids have changed my life.”
María de León did not hesitate for a moment to use her public image for this very particular purpose. “It is a super important mission in my life to raise awareness and bear witness to what can help people improve their lives,” she says. The jewelry that Blanca Jewels has designed for Aural comes to celebrate the company's 45th anniversary and reward the loyalty of its clients. Those who are not afraid to show their beauty, despite wearing hearing aids, and who will surely wear the earrings as a symbol of empowerment.
