Hidden behind a majestic palace in the middle of Seoul lies what is called a "Secret Garden." While called a garden, I beg to call it a place of harmony between nature and man. Within a vast forest painted with flowers, trees and chirping birds, are man made structures dotted carefully along the vast area. The structures are placed cautiously to preserve the beauty that nature inspires, and in doing so, construe the harmony between man and nature...thus, actualizing true beauty.

Every Thursday is BE.ARUM's "Ideation Day" where we select a venue or topic to explore the topic of beauty in various settings. As a brand that fully devotes to inspiring the world with beautiful jewelry, we believe it is our basic responsibility to constantly seek to understand more about what is "beautiful."

The Secret Garden is all about harmony. The pond in the photo is a symbol of the harmony between the Earth and the Heavens. The ancient Koreans believed that the Earth was in the shape of a square and the Heaven a circle, so a small island floats in the middle of square pond. Although they might have gotten the square and circle wrong, the representation of harmony inspires a sense of beauty important to us even today. 

It was a snowy day today and with snowflakes floating down onto autumn leaves that have yet to also float on down, it was the perfect day to explore the concept of beauty. 

We also took the liberty to place ourselves into the beautiful landscape of the palaces. The background is a 600 year old structure which serves as a shrine for the past Kings and Queens of Korea. Not only is it beautiful, the symbolic nature that it provides let us appreciate even more the pleasing aura of it. 

The aesthetically pleasing old Korean buildings, not only were visually beautiful but also served to mesmerize us and move us in a certain way. The sounds of our feet bouncing back from the structures, the little chirps that birds made with the cold yet soothing wind that blew gently over us really found us to be completely blown away. The bland yet somehow tranquil view coupled with the aura of the site, soothed our souls as we were struck in awe exploring the nearly 600 year old buildings. 

Although very beautiful, being outside for too long left us cold and hungry so we quickly escaped to a modern cafe right outside of the palace. A modern building overlooked an old Korean house which was renovated into a cafe. The mix between old and new and chic and warm was rather harmoniously beautiful.

With a cup of tea, we were able to warm up our bodies and truly appreciate the beauty of Korea. An eclectic mix of old and new, stimulating yet tranquil, the true beauty was that it is what it is, beautiful just the way it is. 

So we took the liberty of taking a photo of one of our bracelets using the background of an old Korean building. Just to exemplify what is "beautiful just the way it is," telling the world "넌 있는 그대로가 아름다워.