Optimara Little Jewels

Optimara Little Jewels Project

My Jewel Hall of Fame
Caring for your Little Ones

What started out as a casual African Violet collection between two members of our online African Violet group, AV SwapBuddies, became a quest. During our collecting efforts, we found some Little Jewels not blooming true. Thus, we started our search.

Enter the Project

The Little Jewels Project was set up in an attempt to collect and accurately photograph all the Optimara Little Jewels. If you are wondering what the "Little Jewels" are, they are a series of 23 miniature African Violets hybridized by Holtkamp in the 1980's and 1990's. Some of them have become quite hard to find. Others are found more often, such as Little Moonstone and Rose Quartz.

Do you have several named* violets and are looking for a close-knit online club to join? Subscribe to AV SwapBuddies!
Click here to join AVSwapBuddies
Click to join AV SwapBuddies
*Named violets only---no guessing please.

If you are growing any of the Little Jewels and have pictures of your plants that you would like to share, or if you would like to trade leaves, please contact me. All pictures will be credited as you wish. I reserve the right to decide which photos to use, and to resize them as needed. Please don't download pictures without permission.

Contact me
Link opens a contact form on my other website*

I have included a link near the top of each page that opens the Optimara web page matching each Little Jewel. I have done this to make it easier to compare pictures with the originals put up by Optimara, because today's cameras produce truer colors, yet the Optimara photos retain the original attributes of the plants, plus it allows for easier comparison.

Lets keep these tiny beauties growing and blooming true!

Learn More! Click to join the AVSA

The African Violet Society of America has much to offer their membership! Visit the link above to visit the AVSA website and learn more.

Thanks! ~Candy

*Your information will be kept private. I never share information without your written permission. I believe it is just bad manners to do otherwise. And that includes "borrowing" photos without permission. Don't swipe my stuff. Just ask. I'm very easy to get along with...really!

**What "the Project" is doing. Through sharing and swapping, plus the growing out to blooming size of many plants, we are attempting to preserve the truest form attainable of these wonderful Little Jewels. I believe we are having a boatload of fun just trying to attain this goal!