About Gleichenia

Gleichenia is a contemporary jewelry unit by Kanako and Yu Ikegaya, based in Tokyo. We make one-of-a-kind jewelry and objects by hand, working with pate de verre glass and silver 950.

Every piece is made entirely in our studio — from firing glass in the kiln to forming silver without casting. We started in 2020 and have participated in 30+ exhibitions across Japan, including New Jewelry TOKYO.

How We Make Glass

Our glass is made using pate de verre — a technique where crushed glass is mixed with color powder, packed into a plaster mold, and fired in a kiln over several days. After firing, we break the mold and cut and grind each piece by hand.

No two firings produce the same result. The way the glass melts, the air trapped inside, the interaction between colors — all of it shifts with each firing. This is why every piece is genuinely one of a kind. The product photo on each page shows the exact item that will be shipped.

How We Make Silver

We use silver 950 — a 95% pure silver alloy traditionally used in Japanese metalwork. Each component is hand-formed, hammered, bent, and filed individually. We do not cast. Because every glass piece is slightly different, every silver fitting must be adjusted to match.

Our Collections

CAIRN — Polyhedral glass pendants inspired by stone cairns, the trail markers found along riversides and mountain paths around the world.

HENGE — A glass pendant suspended from a silver pipe, inspired by the ancient practice of lifting heavy stones toward the sky.

INWATER — Rings, earrings, and pendants made with devitrified glass — a controlled process where glass crystallizes, creating a pale blue, bubble-like texture that resembles light filtering through water.

Kanako and Yu

Kanako Ikegaya — Jewelry artist. BA Sculpture, Wimbledon College of Arts, University of the Arts London (2012).

Yu Ikegaya — Jewelry artist. BA Interior and Spatial Design, Chelsea College of Arts, University of the Arts London (2011).

We handle everything as a two-person unit: making, selling, photographing, and writing.

Our Name

Gleichenia is the scientific name for urajiro — a fern whose paired leaves grow from a single stem. In Japanese tradition, urajiro is a symbol of purity and partnership. We saw ourselves in that structure: two people, two perspectives, one practice.

Read more on our journal at gleichenia.com