Meet our Ceremonial Muses: Jolina and Jason

An online connection, a missed flight and train station dash shaped the fortuitous first meeting between models Jason and Jolina – it’s been laughter, compassion and support ever since. Here, our Ceremonial campaign muses offer NMJ a glimpse inside their unique relationship – from their lessons on love to staying connected in a busy world, and the jewellery they hold closest to their hearts.

 

How did you both meet?

Perhaps more common than not these days, we met online. I sent a fire emoji rocketing into Jason’s inbox. Jason thought it was a spam robot, someone like Jolina surely wouldn’t be seeing his story? He reached out pretty quickly, looking for signs of life and sure enough I was in fact a real person. After non-stop texting for about 10 days from different cities, we said enough is enough, we have to meet each other to see if this is the real deal.

 

Tell us about your first date?

Jolina: That brings back some memories. We were chatting for a couple of weeks, wanting to meet but both busy with work. I was waiting at the airport for my flight back to Germany, and as always texting with Jason. I drifted off a bit and missed the gate change, so ended up also missing the flight. Luckily, it turned out there was a flight to Berlin the same day (where Jason was living at the time). After so long chatting, we were finally able to see each other in person for the first time.

I was sweaty and tired, he tried to put an arm on my shoulder and I refused it. So pretty much I had summed up that I ruined the date and I must have come across as very weird. He have me a quick kiss good be and I straight away called my best friend. I told her I think I ruined the day and how upsetting that feels as he was such an amazing, handsome guy. He called his friend at the same time and said ‘I found the woman of my dreams…’ He texted me straight away and we saw each other again two days later, spending the whole weekend together. Since that weekend I knew he was the one.

Jason: Our first meeting probably couldn’t be called a date. The proper date came later - romantically meandering down the Alster river in Hamburg on a paddle boat with Italian dinner date playlist on Spotify. Prior to that official day though, we had a chance encounter. Jolina had just finished a shoot in Turkey and was waiting at the airport for her flight back to Hamburg. Thankfully, to avoid the terminal boredom, we were madly texting each other. So much so in fact, Jolina was distracted enough to not hear the gate change of her flight over the loud speaker and ended up missing her flight entirely. The only plane back to Germany that day was one to Berlin (where I was living). She said if I could make it to the main train station between her switch over to the fast train back home to Hamburg, we could introduce each other.

I pushed back a casting and made a dash to the station. We met and briefly sat by the river trying to work each other out. I made a move by placing my hand on her back after a moment of laughter and she quickly swatted it away claiming she was hot and clammy from the plane. Early indications of her fiery independence perhaps. That aside, we had more laughs and smiles than I had experienced in a very long time and before long it was time to part ways. I rang my friend and said ‘I think I’m in love.’ Jolina rang hers and said ‘probably won’t be seeing him again.’ Luckily on this occasion, I was right.What do you love most about each other?

Jolina: I love his endless support and pushing me towards my goals. He is an enormously good listen and makes me laugh all the time. On top of that, his voice is so beautiful, that was the first thing I fell in love with when we were sending voice notes to each other.

Jason: We joke that we are ying and yang. Should we go left or right? We both step in opposite directions. I think there were a few moments early on we wondered whether that was ‘normal’ or the right path, but really it has made us closer than we could have ever imagined. Jolina’s open mindedness, her caring nature, and her commitment to communication has really created a relationship in which everything is solvable. Any life stress can be overcome, if we do it together. It doesn’t hurt that she is a bombshell as well.

 

Tell us what you have learnt about love along the way…

Jolina: I’ve learned that love is a journey. Accepting, giving each other space to grow individually, and coming back together to learn from each other. I’m so grateful that we are open to learn and share. I found my home in. There is no specific place needed if you know you have your partner by your side.

Jason: It is always a work in progress. I think when we are younger we dream about love as a safety net, a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, a last refuge of sorts. While that may be the case from time to time, more realistically I think love is the artwork that is never quite finished, that you always are drawn back to - and that’s a damn good thing. You can change things, share your half-thoughts and be vulnerable. Knowing that you are there to support each other no matter what comes your way, and that tough times can often be the teachers we didn’t ask for, moulding us into the people we need to be. You both have busy work schedules; how do you stay connected?

We try to make sure to share not only the losses, but the wins as well. It can become easy to rely on a partner as the hotline for life. By carving out time in our calendars, we create space for genuine connection and spontaneity. In busy times that my be a video call and prompt question of what we are proud of, excited about or a fond memory. When we have spare time together then it may be leaving the phones at home and wondering around in nature, without so much as a plan, just enjoying each others presence. The world is full of shiny new things, we have learnt that its quiet moments in between the flashing lights that tend to build the unbroken bonds we cherish most.

 

At NMJ we believe the glue that holds us together is kindness, empathy and love – and creating jewellery entwined with these qualities and sentiments, is at the centre of what we do. What is your most precious piece of jewellery?

Jolina: My most precious piece of jewellery is probably the ring my mum made me. She enrolled in a course and over the duration of a few weeks was able to create something I will cherish forever. She put so much hard work and love in it, I feel it always. I wear it everyday and it shows how we able to share and experience our connection even when we are on different sides of the world.

Jason: The one yet to be acquired :) We are planning out our next steps and are looking forward to showing that commitment through our jewellery. It’s a unique opportunity in life to carry around with you proudly this symbol of love and connection wherever in the world we are, even if at times it is opposite ends. It will be the reminder of the unchanging, in a widely unpredictable world.

 

What does this next chapter in life hold for you both?

After years of demanding travel schedules, we are actively building more opportunities for a feeling of home and stability. We moved into an apartment in Hamburg in November of last year, which we haven’t really had the time to enjoy just yet. So the foreseeable future is going to about making memories in a place that we can finally call our own.