BENNETTSVILLE— For local jewelry designer, Ikey Thomas, owner and operator of King’s Treasure, a business named after his son and located inside Bennettsville & Co., life’s possibilities are as endless as the wealth of his creative talent.
Thomas says his wellness journey started after he was gifted a crystal by a co-worker when he worked at Whole Foods in Charleston.
“I could feel the power in it but as soon as I got home it dropped on the ground and just shattered,” remembered Thomas.
Having felt its healing properties, Thomas knew he had to get his hands on another crystal. As a teen growing up in Bennettsville, Thomas was involved in a horrific car accident that left him with scars and a prescription for pain medication.
“I had to learn to walk again,” said Thomas, adding that before the accident he was used to being athletic and involved in sports. “I felt like it was important for me to find a healthy way to heal.”
While in Charleston, Thomas soaked up all he could from the Gullah culture, finding inspiration in how they expressed themselves through art.
“We have lost so much of the ways of our ancestors,” says Thomas, sharing how his grandparents were well-known in Marlboro for their farming talents and sharing their bounty with their neighbors.
“It was important to them to share with their neighbors. They didn’t want anyone to go hungry in the community and I look at it as feeding my community too,” says Thomas, adding that he focuses on teaching people healing through activities like meditation, prayer and yoga—tools he began cultivating while communing with his inner child splashing around the waterfalls of Arizona during a special trip he took with his brother.
In addition to jewelry, Thomas also focuses on perfecting vegan dishes and serving the community nutritionally.
When it comes to working with crystals, Thomas says he started out working with smooth stones, only to find rough crystals spoke to him.
“In addition to working with crystals, I do a lot of bead work. I can do almost anything with beads, and I like to have everything I wear match,” chuckles Thomas, showing off his uniquely beaded shoes matching the ropes of beads hanging from his neck.
Thomas will be holding bead work and wire wrapping classes soon, though dates are yet to be announced.
He is also a member of a band and has roughly 16 years as a professional songwriter and recorder under his belt.
“We have five members locally and we’ve got five more in Atlanta,” says Thomas, adding local members get together every other Tuesday and play drums at Bennettsville & Co. He added, “It is a great vibe and time for fellowship and connection.”
Be sure and check out this up-and-coming artist in the Bennettsville art scene!