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Acorn Jewellery and Cork Oak Trees

Cork oak acorns are adorable and I don’t believe I had ever seen one until earlier this year.   I was cycling madly around my section, with the intent of wearing out my puppy’s energy when I noticed our cork oak tree had acorns on it.I was completely taken with them and I had to make one - or maybe two or three….    Featured for you below is a wee tour on the uniqueness of cork oak trees, which I found to be surprisingly interesting, and a few pieces of jewellery t...

Ruby Jewellery

July, the month for Rubies. Rubies are considered one of the most important gems on the coloured gemstone market. They can command the highest price per carat, over any other coloured gemstone. Many cultures considered, and still consider them to be far more valuable than diamonds. The word ruby comes from the Latin word 'ruber' which means red. In the ancient language of Sanskrit, rubies were called ratnaraj which means 'king of precious stones.' There are many myths and legends about this...

How do I Choose a Pearl?

What an excellent question and of course an excellent choice of a gem! You might be approaching this question with some prerequisites in mind or you may just want some general information. I will focus on South Sea pearls for this blog, with a small section on freshwater pearls.  ...

Shell Jewellery - Jewels from the Ocean

How extraordinary and beautiful are seashells? So many different shapes and colours with varying textures found littered along a shoreline - like a necklace around the sea. Collecting pretty shells for decorative use is a pastime that has been enjoyed throughout history. I am one of many to enjoy collecting shells: for their beauty, the reminder of a holiday, for feeling connected to the sea and to be able to make shell jewellery. ...

Gold

Before the earth began, there was gold. A collision of neutron stars, a force of energy beyond our imagining is believed by some to have been the process which created gold. The formation of our earth was without a doubt a complex event. And so to try and explain how gold was incorporated in our earth’s crust is one I will leave for others to discuss. However with the possibility of such an extraordinary beginning, is it any wonder that gold is so beautiful?...

The Value of Jewellery

It is true, although it is hard for me to say it, there are some people who don’t see the point of jewellery – imagine that! Obviously I disagree with this so I will put forward, what I hope to be, three compelling points for the case of jewellery: 1. Connection to family2. Investment – for long term gain3. Style – elegance and sophistication (These two words alone are enough to rest my case!)...

Cameo Jewellery

When the word cameo is mentioned, many people conjure up an image of their grandmother or an older lady wearing one in the form of a brooch, the cameo usually being the side profile of a pretty woman, with soft ringlet hair and frequently set in a surround of ornate yellow gold. If people have this image in mind, it is perhaps harder to encourage them to view cameos in a different light and to see that they can have a place in today’s jewellery wardrobe....

Competition Design

Not so long ago, I went with my husband to one of his work functions. A professor engaged me in conversation.  He was intrigued to learn that I was a goldsmith and he proceeded to quiz me on the subject. His final question was, “Are you any good?” I don’t mind a straight up question, but this one caught me off guard. A good friend told me how he had grown up with a saying from his father, “Son, if you are good at something people will tell you, you do not need to tell them.”...

Pearls, Power, Wars - Part 5, Divers and Bunnias

'A thing of breathtaking beauty', a currency of old, more valuable than a city, a symbol of status and from the words of Pliny, the world’s ‘most exquisite and beautiful.’...

Swirling Fish Clasp with Tahitian Pearls

A design idea is often sparked for me after seeing something. What that something is, could be anything! The anything then mulls around in my mind morphing into various designs. For this particular piece of jewellery the something sparked from seeing a beautiful carpet specifically designed for a company. Part of the carpet had a few large tropical fish with flourishing fins and tails on a sea of deep blue – quite spectacular. ...

Pearls, Power, Wars - Part 4

It's hard to imagine, but pearls have been a part of Chinese culture for as long as four thousand years....

Pearls, Power, Wars - Part 3

"Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears." ' I hereby decree pearls to be Rome's most precious commodity!' ...

Pearls, Power, Wars - Part 2

When the authors of the book, from which I draw reference, decided to write about Pearls, they were amazed at the scope of the topic. Their book is impressive in size and they note that they have only covered a mere ' sampling of the data' out there. So let us head back to my meagre sampling of this illuminating subject! ...

Pearls, Power, Wars - Part 1

The discovery of pearls is so far back in time that it can only be surmised as to how it happened. The banks of the Persian Gulf, Red Sea and Indian Ocean were rich with pearl bearing molluscs. As the molluscs were so plentiful & located in relatively shallow waters, it made them an easy food source. Undoubtedly, the removal of the mollusc meat would have revealed pearls. ...

Empty Work Room, Study and 1 Pearl Diploma

An unexpected event required my work room to undergo repairs and temporary closure. The thought of not being able to be creative & make jewellery for some time, was not an appealing thought. And so it was, per chance, luck, fate, divine intervention, 'the force', - choose your alignment, ...

Jewellery Trade Fair - Hong Kong

A favourite aspect of my job is attending trade fairs in Hong Kong. The trade fair at Asia World Expo and the Hong Kong Exhibition Centre, is acres of booths, one lined up after the other, filled with pearls, diamonds, precious stones and exquisite jewellery. It's an Aladdin's cave filled with treasures. Attending these trade fairs is hard work and to help me through the week my wonderful Mr Secretary comes with me. As well as being responsible for carrying all the money, tracking do...

Jewellery, Clothes, Model, Photographer, Action!

A photograph of a piece of jewellery on its own, lacks perspective. It is difficult to determine its true size, where it will sit or the effect it will have on us, until it is worn. In order to bring some perspective to the creations I make, I enlist the help of an excellent photographer and model. ...

Hands, Rings, The Romans and Cleopatra's Bath

Hands are one of the most expressive parts of our body. ...

Jewellery Fashion, Style, Julius Caesar, Coco Chanel and Pearls

First Friday of the month is evening work drinks for my husband & I decided to gate crash. I was sitting next to 3 learned gentlemen, and one of them said. "Lynaire, give us a topic of conversation, aside from work, politics and religion" Having just shared with them a recent indulgent purchase, a sense of mischief played across my mind…. so I said 'Fashion'...

Pearl Mythology; Aphrodite & South Sea Pearls

The beginnings of a sticky hot day in Darwin led me to thinking I should like to find a cool place in which to sit....

The Process

Centre diamond setting and small marquise setting...