Sophia Palmer of Mt. Shasta was inspired to design Queen of Shiva Jewelry during her years of beach combing while living in South East Asia. She moved there when she was 23 years old prompted by her desire to travel, her love of the ocean and its elements, and the culture of South East Asia. In addition to the shells Sophia collected, she found "operculum" of all sizes. The operculum, or gateway to the shell of certain mollusks, is thought by many people in the world to ward off evil spirits and to protect the wearer. On one side of the shell is a multi-colored, almost feathery design that is called the "Shiva's eye". On the other side of the operculum is a beautiful spiral of varying hues.

Intrigued by the inherent beauty of the operculum, Sophia started to fashion simple jewelry incorporating the shell into her designs. At first her jewelry was made of the unpolished shells. After time, she began polishing the operculum and designed a line of elegant jewelry that maintains the beauty and integrity of the shells. Her distinctive collection of operculum and Shiva eye jewelry is handcrafted in fine sterling silver by an expert artisan.