A Journey Across the Globe with Merchant Society's Alexa Jacobs

Running a transcontinental acessories brand can be a trip–literally. As the founder of MERCHANT SOCIETY, Alexa Jacobs ventures to various corners of the earth to source, design and produce her line of luxe artisanal bags and handmade jewelry. Check out the sights, sounds and even the scents and stones that inspired her during a recent trip to India and Southeast Asia.

1. After two nights in Delhi, I travel to Rishikesh to work on creating our new sandalwood malas. This is a typical breakfast there: masala dosa with delicious fresh coconut chutney and fruit. In a word, YUM!

2. The last stop in my whirlwind Asia trip was Bali. This is me in Ubud, North Bali at a stunning ancient temple.

3. Welcome to Jaipur! On arrival, I was greeted with this brightly painted, magnificent elephant outside my hotel–an iconic sight of India!

4. These sandalwood bracelets with purple tassels are a new design. If only you could scratch and sniff! They smell wonderful.

5. Chrysoprase for days! This is one of my most favorite colors and stones. I'm designing a new necklace with this elegant, magical stone.

6. This was sunset at Canggu Beach. It was my last night in Bali, and the end of the Merchant Society adventure to find and design one-of-a-kind, handmade jewelry and accessories.