Unique Urban Rocks Jewelry Offers Gifts that Give and Educate for Valentine's Day, Autism Awareness

THE WOODLANDS, Texas -- Whether you're shopping for your significant other, a teacher, your children or your friends, Unique Urban Rocks has Valentine's Day jewelry gift ideas that will impact more than just the recipient. A portion of each piece of handcrafted jewelry goes directly to autism awareness for research and a hopeful cure.

Kym Jackson, creator of Unique Urban Rocks, has a passion for jewelry and spreading awareness about autism. Her son, Blake, is a 13-year-old with a big heart and a love for music and rocking out. He also happens to be on the autism spectrum. In fact, Unique Urban Rocks is named after Blake.

"The reason I started [the business] was because of him," Jackson said. "The name is because of him. First of all, he is a very unique child. He's very special…and he's urban. He wants to be a DJ when he grows up. He puts life into people and he absolutely loves that."

Jackson, in a desire to educate and connect with others who are impacted by autism, created Unique Urban Rocks so she could share her story with people in a relaxed environment. As clients browse the jewelry collection, they have the opportunity to learn more about the Jackson family journey and how autism affects children worldwide. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a range of neurodevelopmental disorders that are characterized by difficulties in social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication, and repetitive behavior, according to The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Autism is the most severe form of ASD and Asperger’s syndrome is more mild along the spectrum.

"Statistics are changing rapidly," Jackson said. "Back when Toni Braxton did her famous commercial [for Autism Speaks] it was 1 in 150 being affected by it. Now, 1 in 42 baby boys are born on the spectrum. We still don't have the cause, and we can't have the cure without the cause. Everyone is working diligently to find out about this horrific disease attacking people across the world. It doesn't matter what country you're from or how old you are. It doesn't matter the color of your skin. It attacks everybody."

Jackson uses her jewelry line to connect families who are impacted in some way by autism, because she said there's no playbook and what's needed is the love and strength from family and friends.

The collection of Unique Urban Rocks is just as beautiful and unique as each child affected by autism. Each gemstone is carefully and purposefully hand-picked by Jackson. She then designs the settings and brings her visions, and other's, to life. For Valentine's Day, she recommends any of the aquamarine bracelets; it is the color she has chosen for autism.

"I chose blue because it looks like the sea - just beautiful," Jackson said. There's also a popular bracelet that has a "Love" charm on it, perfect for showing someone you care when February 14 rolls around. Fifty percent of the "Love" bracelet collection goes right to autism research and education.

Jackson acquired her Gemological Institute of America (GIA) certification to learn more about finding natural resources, colors and hues, and how to create affordable luxury for her clients. There's something to fit everyone's budget; whether you're searching for an affordable set of gemstone earrings or a design using black diamonds, Unique Urban Rocks has it all. There are collections perfect for men, women, teens and even children. Jackson does custom pieces, to an extent, but since every gemstone is different, every piece is distinctly unique. With each purchase of Unique Urban Rocks, you're not only getting a piece of jewelry, you're helping children impacted here - and across the globe - by autism.

"Every piece helps my son," Jackson said. "The jewelry is the spiritual-type that brings you closer to loving yourself, loving God and it reminds you how precious life really is, and that it's a gift. The jewelry I make is a labor of love."

You can browse and purchase her extensive collection online at ShopUniqueUrbanRocks.com.