Holly Yashi and the Light Sail Project
August 2019
OMAX abrasive waterjets have the ability to cut virtually anything, and that versatility means never having to turn down a job due to material restrictions. It also means a single waterjet can work across several different industries. For example, the same machine may cut jewelry one day and a part for an experimental space project the next. That is the case with Holly Yashi’s OMAX 2652 JetMachining Center.
Founders Holly Hosterman and Paul “Yashi” Lubitz started Holly Yashi as way to showcase their combined passion for art in a financially viable way. Over the last 35 years, the company has grown from a one-car garage into a 15,000 square-foot facility with over 50 employees. Their whimsical and unique designs feature unconventional materials, including hypo-allergenic metals, Bohemian and dichroic glass, and Austrian crystal pearls. One of the most exceptional materials Holly Yashi uses is Niobium, an extremely strong but remarkably lightweight metal with a chameleon-like capacity to retain a wide range of vibrant hues despite its natural dull grey color.
The company found great success over the years, with Holly Yashi products featured everywhere from retailers like Anthropologie and Sundance to tastemaking magazines like Modern Jeweler, Vogue and Good Housekeeping. The company’s website, HollyYashi.com, also notes that celebrities, such as Bonnie Raitt and Sandra Oh, have worn the brand’s jewelry in creative works seen across the country and around the world. But Holly Yashi’s work goes far beyond jewelry – and beyond the world as we know it.