WHERE MY LOVE OF JEWELLERY & ADVENTURE MET..
My interest and passion for jewellery and travel really began during a 9 month trip to India in 2009. I fell in love with the myriad of designs and techniques of the jewellery; reflecting the rich and diverse culture of the country, and the beauty of the gemstones and unending landscapes. I spent a lot of my time trawling through markets and jewellery shops, and to this day I still treasure what I brought back.
For anyone who has visited India they will understand what a colourful and eclectic place it is; a vast country where food, culture and scenes dramatically change as you travel; a place that knocks your senses sideways and provides a lot of inspiration and nourishment for the soul.
Since then I have made both jewellery and travel a big part of my life. It was on my return when friends commented on how much I talked about jewellery, and a conversation with my Mum who introduced me to the idea of studying Gemmology, that the seed planted in the east was beginning to grow roots in the west.
I moved to London to look for a job in the Jewellery industry, with no real plan and little idea of how to achieve that.. but armed with my CV, some gusto, and some great advice from my Aunt, I began walking into jewellers in the West End looking for work. Luck would have it, I walked into Nigel Milne, a lovely independent fine Jeweller in Piccadilly run by Nigel and his wife Cherry, who were on the lookout for a new member of the team.
A wonderful first job, my position introduced me to both antique and contemporary designs and the overall workings of the fine jewellery world. Nigel & Cherrys kind and welcoming nature encouraged me to get a feel for different aspects of the business. I particularly enjoyed the jobs that took me to different workshops or studios, or Hatton Garden; London's famous jewellery quarter. Through unassuming doorways I would find myself amongst master goldsmiths, pearl stringers, dealers sorting through parcels of diamonds, photographers and other creatives.. my curiosity was sparked.
Whilst working for Nigel & Cherry, and kindly supported by them, I studied for my Gemmology Foundation & Diploma at the Gemmological Association of Great Britain, going on to obtain my FGA. A challenging but rewarding time which would later set me up for a position working for a fifth generation gemstone merchant in Sri Lanka... but more about that further on.
TRAVELS AROUND THE WORLD...
After four years the hustle and bustle of city life became too much, and the dream of travel too much to ignore that I decided to leave. Again, with no real plan, I booked a flight to Vietnam with just my backpack and a thirst for adventure.
The exposure to changing landscapes and new cultures around the world fed my need for exploration, and the possibility of life that traveling opened up to me was inspiring. I loved seeing how people all around the world live. Each individual living their own reality, with experiences and perspectives shaped by their history and environment.
Growing up in a little woodland on the coast of Ireland I always loved being in and surrounded by nature, and travel really opened up this world to me. I loved being able to explore the great outdoors and feel so lucky to have experienced some of the most splendid views on earth from the snow capped peaks of the Atlas Mountains to the dense tree fern forests of New Zealand. One of the places which really blew me away though was the Redwood national park of Northern California. In the presence of these giant trees you really feel enveloped by the enormity of the world and humbled in comparison.
Travel also opened me up to new arts and cultures, and of course, I loved happening upon the local jewellery shops. They would tell a story of the place I was visiting, some would celebrate the local gemstones, others might portray the rich history of a group of people; their traditions and beliefs. Jewellery as talismans, dowry's, offerings, symbols of marriage, status, religion or ethnic group.. one thing is clear, jewellery is an integral part of human culture, it is imbued with meaning and symbolism that traverse all man made boundaries.
After traveling for a couple of years however, I was beginning to feeling unfulfilled creatively. I wanted to keep progressing in the world of jewellery although I was sure I didn't want to return to the UK or Ireland full time. So I started a search for both jobs and schools around the world, I was interested in making jewellery, but also the social and environmental issues that come with it and looked for companies and people whose values incorporated a sustainable outlook and ethical practice.
EL TALLER DE JOYERÍA, BARCELONA
I found a school in Barcelona to undertake a two week introductory course in metalwork at 'El Taller de Joyeria' to test the waters for a possible course in Chile, and the course was fantastic. I loved jewellery making, and in a short time I had the opportunity to try a number of skills and techniques. Melting copper and fine silver to make 925 sterling silver ingots, making wire and sheet, soldering, piercing, filing and polishing.
Although I was able to do the course in English, it was very apparent that I was missing out on a great deal of learning opportunity by not having a good grasp of Spanish. With this, I decided not to pursue a course in South America and instead found myself some work with a lovely Jeweller in Belfast, Fred. J. Malcoms, whilst continuing my search for an interesting opportunity somewhere in the world. It was great to be back in the world of Jewellery with a lovely group of people who took me under their wings and kindly supported my pursuit of something further afield.
It wasn't long though until I got connected with a world renowned coloured gemstone expert in Sri Lanka and I was off again..
SRI LANKA (RATHNA DEEPA)
ISLAND OF GEMSTONES
In December 2018 I was offered an exciting opportunity to work with Armil Sammoon, a fifth generation Gem Merchant in 'The Land of Gemstones.' It was a chance to learn more about coloured stones and the inner workings of the global gem industry whilst living a source country.. of course I didn't need to stop and think before saying YES!
I moved in January 2019 to live in Colombo on the edge of the Indian Ocean. I was completely immersed in the Gem Industry, thrown in the deep end from the get go with Armil and his family as my guide.
This small island roughly the same size as Ireland is blessed with over 70 varieties of high quality coloured stones. The 'Ceylon Sapphire' is what they are most famous for, a hard and lustrous gemstone that comes in the full spectrum of colour. Here I was able to observe the entire mine to market journey of a gemstone, which, until now I had only seen in the Gem-A classroom, a dealers office or set in a piece of jewellery. Sri Lanka's gem industry dates back thousands of years and in addition to being an important source country, they are well known for heat treatment of sapphire and their lapidary (gem cutting) skills.
I learnt so many valuable lessons throughout this experience - some very hard lessons, but I grew and developed in ways that I did not imagine. I met some wonderful people and was constantly surrounded by exceptional minds that inspired me to look at the world and business in a different way.
The work and experience was hugely varied; from dealing gemstones to both b2b and b2c clients, involvement with a number of international and local gem related business projects, local retail, and multiple educational projects with 'Gem Art Academy', one of Armil's great passions for sharing his knowledge.
Our main office was in Colombo and where I was based for most of my working time, but there were also opportunities to travel. For anyone who has visited Sri Lanka they will understand that gemstones are intrinsic to the landscape of this island, you don't move too far without seeing a gem shop or a mine site. Gemstones are found all over the island, however the majority are mined in the Sabaragamuwa Province in the central south west of the island. Here, in and around the capital, Ratnapura which means 'city of gems' in Sinhalese, you will find rough gemstones, river mining, pit mining, traditional gemstone heating, lapidary, markets and more.
In our Colombo office we had a master gem cutter who would try and teach me some of her lapidary skills. We would talk in broken English with me trying to learn some Singhalese words that related to the Art of gem cutting.. which was often quite a challenge.
BACK IN IRELAND IN MY WORKSHOP & STUDIO..
It was covid that eventually brought me back home. Nervous about missing my sisters wedding in May 2020 I booked an earlier flight out of Sri Lanka, not realising that it was one of the last flights before the country was closed for the rest of that year. When it was clear I wasn't heading back any time soon I had to rethink what I was doing. I went back to the drawing board and the creative pull towards jewellery making, it was then that I found a 1 year full time course learning traditional jewellery and goldsmith skills starting 3 weeks later in Dublin.. I didn't have long to decide or figure out how I would make it work without a job or anywhere to live.. but as usual I said yes and figured out the details as I went along.
I quickly realised that this was the creative outlet that I had been missing. I loved learning about the process of making Jewellery and thrived in this new environment. All of the experiences I had gained up until this point both in Jewellery and life were coming together on the pages of my sketchbook and in my designs. The first collection that I designed, Ancient Islands was inspired by my time in Sri Lanka and my home country where I now found myself again. On my lunch breaks I would wander off to the Archeology Museum to goggle in awe at their collection of Ancient Gold Jewellery.. buttery yellow torcs, shining like the sun.. I was totally bewitched.
Following on from the course I stayed in Dublin where I worked in different workshops and even started teaching a ring making class alongside a great collective of Irish jewellery makers. I slowly started putting together plans for a business and through word of mouth I was lucky enough to find myself with a number of commissions on my plate. It was a very busy time, both rewarding and challenging. Then in 2023 following a two month trip to Sri Lanka and India I made the decision to leave the city for the quiet of the countryside where I could set up my own workshop and jewellery studio, this is where I am today.
