Hi there! Tell me a bit about your background.
I got into jewellery while I was on exchange for my law degree in California. I’ve always had creative hobbies and have dabbled in just about everything from painting to sewing to pottery, but never really found anything that stuck—I always got sick of the hobby after spending a few months and heaps of money on it. The uni I was on exchange at in California offered a 12-hour course in metal-casting, and I signed up for it because I’ve always loved silver jewellery and wanted to make myself my dream signet ring. I wasn’t expecting to love it as much I do, but within the first hour, I realised metal-casting was the thing I’d been looking for to fill the creativity hole in my life.
I’ve just recently finished my law degree and acknowledge that running a small business and working in law are two very different paths, but I’m hoping to combine both interests by specialising in Intellectual Property law, which deals with copyrights, patents, and design.
When did you discover your love of jewellery?
I’ve honestly been obsessed with jewellery ever since I was a kid. I used to have these super vivid dreams where I would find a treasure chest full of silver jewellery, and it felt like pure euphoria—like the opposite of a nightmare. I would deck myself out in rings and necklaces, and I was always so sad to wake and find that it wasn’t real and I didn’t get to keep any of it.
How would you describe your own personal style? I think my style is super influenced by my love and pity for ugly things. I just really can’t leave an ugly thing alone in a shop—it feels too sad to let it go unpurchased. The uglier it is, the more I want to take it home. I would also say my personal style is super influenced by eBay. I am obsessed with it and am guilty of buying pretty much anything it suggests me— think it’s the unsung hero for hidden treasures!
What was your biggest fear when going out and starting your own line?
This is an interesting question because I didn’t really have any fears when I was starting out. I never intended to make my own line— I was just making jewellery for myself and for friends who saw the pieces and wanted their own. It was such a smooth and gentle introduction into running a business, and because things grew really slowly and naturally, I felt like I was always ready for the next chapter. I never really had to take a leap of faith or face any big fears because I wasn’t aiming for a particular goal.
How would you describe your collections?
This current collection is inspired by the vague symbolism of dreams: shapes and things that hold meaning only your subconscious brain understands, and that your conscious brain computes as random and nonsensical upon waking. As a limited collection of 8, each item is intended as a talisman or periapt, to be worn and carried with whatever meaning the owner imbues it with.
Where do you find your design inspiration?
Same as most artists, I find it in lots of tiny things around me. Bit of photos, or something I see out the window of a bus, or a interesting building. The inspiration for this collection started in the middle of my final-year uni exams when I was having a stress-induced lie down in a park. The clouds were making this really jagged shapes, and I had no idea how they could be translated to jewellery but sketched them in the notes on my phone. A few months later, they became the reference images when I sat down to start the new collection. This collection has also been super inspired by hyper-pop and a renaissance that Crystal Castles is having in my life.
What goes into creating sustainable jewellery?
Sustainability in jewellery is an uphill battle—it is an inherently labour and energy intensive practice because metal must be mined. The way I approach sustainability is to create life-long lasting pieces out of quality materials that never lose their colour or turn your skin green. Ideally, if somebody buys a solid sterling silver piece, it will stay with them for their life, and they never have to repurchase or send to landfill a cheaper piece that loses its appeal after a few weeks of wear. I can’t change the methods used to obtain the metal, but I aim to only create things that will be worn and treasured forever.
How do you want people to feel when wearing your jewellery?
Powerful and protected.
