The Gold and Diamond Blossom Earrings

Every now and then I do custom variations of the earrings in my Japonicity range. Last week was one such occasion when I received a request from Monica for a diamond-set pair of golden blossom studs as a gift for her mother.

These are the medium sized Spring Blossom Studs, but instead of being made from silver, they are solid 9ct yellow gold. As a gorgeous finishing touch, the usual ball of silver in the centre of each blossom is replaced by a sparkling 3 point, round, brilliant cut diamond.

Thanks Monica for asking me to make these. I hope your mother loves them. Such a lovely and thoughtful birthday gift!

Love from The Jeweller. xx

The Engagement of Derryn and Claudia

An old friend from my days at Charles Sturt University recently approached me to make an engagement ring for his sweetheart Claudia. I was stoked to hear from him, happy and in love. It thrills me when friends entrust me with such important jobs. And so the process of designing Claudia's engagement ring began!



Derryn with his girl Claudia (and Susie the dog).



We spent some time looking at rings together online. Most of them were solitaire diamonds, a few with small accent stones, but all in all, nothing too inspiring came up. Derryn insisted that whilst he didn't want anything too fussy, he did want something just a little bit different. So I suggested he take a look at different shaped stones. To my surprise, and delight, he came back to me with, "I like the pear".

I've been dreaming of this ring for quite some time. The perfect pear-shaped diamond surrounded by a halo of tiny round brilliant cut diamonds. This is Derryn and Claudia's ring.

The day that I handed the beautiful ring over to Derryn, he proposed. I got a text message from him that night with the words, "She said yes!". I haven't met Claudia yet, but Derryn tells me she loves her ring. And how could she not? After all, the man that loves her went to a lot of trouble to have this ring specially designed and handcrafted in secret so that he had that special piece with which to ask her to be his bride. What a surprise! Isn't that every girl's dream?

Love from The Jeweller. xx

The Makers' Space

Hello readers. I'm sorry for being so quiet this month. My silence has been due to me missing out on a week of precious studio time whilst I nursed a cold. Since getting well again, I have been so busy catching up on my jewellery making that something had to give and that something, unfortunately, was my writing. Anyway, enough excuses, onwards and upwards!

I currently have work on display (and for sale) in a mini exhibition at the Museum of the Riverina Wagga Wagga. The fantastic program that my work is part of is called 'Makers' Space'. This exhibition changes seasonally and provides local and regional designer/makers with a unique opportunity to showcase their wares.

The current exhibition opened on Friday 18th May and runs through to Sunday August 5th. I am lucky to be sharing the space with textile designers Jemima Saunders from 'My Liefie' and Julie Gibbons from 'Tractor Girl'. I dropped in to see the exhibition last week and was thrilled to see how beautifully curated it is. Julie's chrysanthemum pillows exactly match my Ikebana pendant with the same imperial Japanese motif, and the flowers and leaves in both our work tie in with Jemima's bush-dyed, leaf-adorned clothing. The room is hung with autumn leaves, the perfect accompaniment to the botanically themed designs on show.

Here are a few snaps of the current Makers' Space.

If you're in the Wagga Wagga area, make sure you make the time to pop into the Museum of the Riverina or my favourite little art gallery (also a stockist of mine), The Paper Pear on Gurwood Street. I hope the people of the Riverina enjoy my work and that of the other Makers' Space artists.

Love from The Jeweller. xx

The Wrap-Up of May 2012

At the risk of sounding repetitive... Wow, I cannot believe May is over already! And what a jam-packed month it was for me.

On the work front, I have so many fabulous commissions! My clients really are the greatest people. Diamonds are the flavour of the month and I have a record number of impressive engagement rings on the go at the moment. I also have a little exhibition running in the Museum of the Riverina's "Makers' Space" Wagga Wagga. My exhibition runs until Sunday 5th August and I promise to do a blog post to tell you all about it soon.

This month saw my little blog discovered by the editor of Australia's 'Jewellers Trade Magazine' and in the June issue, one of my stories will be published. May also brought with it an invite to 'Bowerbird Bazaar, Adelaide's Design Market' and I am very much looking forward to my July trip over to South Australia.
My personal life was full of joy and excitement this month too. I successfully pulled off a surprise 30th birthday party for hubby. A swag of his school and work mates made the trip to town for the party which included a weekend of paintballing, delicious food and more than a few drinks. It was great to catch up with some old friends and now I can tick paintballing off the bucket list too.

I am continuing to take a photo every day with the 'Instagram' app (for those who want to play along, find me under user name the_jeweller). Compiling the photographs at the end of each month is a source of great enjoyment for me. Here is my May in photographs.

And finally, after countless hours of work, my bathroom IS FINISHED! *little happy dance* I will do the grand reveal here on my blog in the coming week.

So what is on the agenda for June? Work, work and more work. Yes, I know that this goes against my whole 'balanced work and personal life' ethos. But in saying that, I have A LOT to do. There are plenty of commissions to get on with and I desperately need to build up Japonicity's stock levels. I also need to work on continuing to keep clean and orderly living and working environments. Last but not least I am determined to shift some more of that excess weight. Amongst all of that work, I am sure I will find plenty of joy and I look forward to sharing it all with you. Bring on June!

Love from The Jeweller. xx

The Melt Down - Dorothy's Ring

I'm finding myself a little short of writing time at the moment! So, with the resolve to tell all sorts of new stories next month, here is one from last year. Those of you who 'like' my Kidson Jewellery facebook page will recognise this little tale from October 2011.

I seldom remember to take 'before' photos of the pieces that I remodel. I get so excited about the prospect of a new creation that I hastily cut out the stones, throw the gold into my crucible and melt it all down. Then later I find myself thinking, "Damn, I've done it again!". But this time, a request for the 'before' photo from the client helped me to remember (yay!).

Dorothy inherited some very special and sentimental rings and after much consideration decided to have them remodelled. She did not like the old fashioned style, high settings and yellow gold and knew that she would get much more enjoyment out of wearing the precious diamonds in a new white gold ring of her own style. So, here is what I had to work with - the 'before' photo.

Dorothy came to me with a collection of different pictures that she had gathered online. We sat down and discussed which features she liked from each of the images she had brought me. I then designed a unique ring using those features, and incorporating the collection of diamonds from her inheritance. Drumroll...... and here is the result - the 'after' photo.

This is one of my favourite remodelling results ever. I told her if she didn't like the ring, I was happy to keep it. But of course, she LOVES it! Thanks Dot, for giving me the opportunity to work with you and bring new life to these old diamonds. May they be enjoyed for many years to come.

Love from The Jeweller. xx

The New Spin on an Old Favourite- Alexa's Washi Ring

Those who have been following my work for a long time will remember the Washi Rings. One of my earliest designs from when I started up my own business in 2008. This design was born from a desire to incorporate some beautiful Japanese papers with gorgeous natural gemstones and precious metals. After plenty of hours spent prototyping, I devised a way to encase the Japanese washi paper in acrylic. My technique is unique in that I do not use resin which oxidises silver and tends to yellow as it ages, and I do not use glass which can shatter when dropped. The acrylic has a mirror edge which creates beautiful reflections of the paper, and as it is not applied in a liquid form, it does not change the properties of the paper in any way. If the acrylic gets scratched it can easily be re-polished. And so the Washi Rings were born!

Three of my earliest rings in this style (pictured below) were selected for Contemporary Wearables; a biannual jewellery award and exhibition. Beginning in Toowoomba Queensland, the exhibition toured Australia in 2008/2009 with my three rings proudly on display.

Recently, I have been imagining a reinvention of the Washi Rings, creating interesting clusters of gemstones around the encased piece of paper. Then, along came the perfect client Alexa, who wanted a special Washi Ring made for her 30th birthday. I suggested that she come and take a look at my gem box for inspiration, and after some time spent playing with different combinations of gems we settled on two stones. A small round red garnet and a gorgeous pear-shaped green tourmaline.

I love this eclectic little combination and hope to launch a whole range of rings in a similar style soon. Maybe a spring collection? Oh, and happy 30th Alexa, I hope you are loving your new ring.

Love from The Jeweller. xx

The Re-Vamp

Whoops, where did the time go!? I did mention in my last post that I am very busy at the moment, but here we are a full week later and this is my first post since!

I have been working on lots of fantastic commissions, and finishing my bathroom renovations, but before I sit down for some serious writing hours to tell you all those stories, here is a little reinvention of some of my Japonicity earrings.

The Ikebana Collection consists of five Japanese floral motifs, each available in earrings, pendants and rings. My Chrysanthemum earrings and Geometric Chrysanthemum ring are personal favourites; a part of my everyday wardrobe. The Okinawa flower has been the most popular with clients, and my own sister and best friend each wear a pendant. Of all the designs though, the Geometric Chrysanthemum is the one that I have never been quite content with. I love it in a ring, but not as much in earrings and pendants. The solution... get out the drill and saw for a re-vamp. I have also rotated the piece by 45 degrees.


Original Design                                                                            Re-vamped Earrings



I'm looking forward to taking these to the markets and seeing how my clients react to the alterations! I hope you all like them as much as I do.

Love from The Jeweller. xx

The Japanese Tea Pot Prop

Those who follow my retail brand Japonicity will be familiar with the divine handmade Japanese tea set that I frequently use as a photography prop. It is a gorgeous ceramic teapot with four matching cups, a metal-like glaze and blue and white chrysanthemum decals. I purchased the set with some birthday money a couple of years ago and have been cherishing it ever since.

Over and over again, I have been asked if I might sell my tea set, but of course it is too precious for me to part with. Then, a few weeks ago, the most delightful thing occurred. I happened across a wholesaler with an amazing selection of Japanese ceramics, including tea sets just like mine!! So without delay, I signed up for an account and ordered in a beautiful selection of eight shiny new tea sets.

Yesterday my boxes from Japan arrived and it was like Christmas opening them up and ogling at the goodies within. Hand-crafted Japanese goodness! Beautiful smooth curves, Japanese floral patterns, crisp and white on the inside, dark and rustic on the outside, each piece with its own little quirks, oh how I adore thee!!

This week my studio is crazy busy, but next week I'll take some time to photograph the new goodies to put them up the Japonicity web site and facebook page with prices etc. It is definitely tea drinking weather here in Wagga Wagga, so I am sure they will quickly find new homes.

Love from The Jeweller. xx

The Fibonacci Cufflinks

A couple of months ago I made a pair of custom cufflinks featuring the Fibonacci spiral for Lynelle. She wanted a special gift for her mathematician husband Mark for their 20th wedding anniversary, and commissioned me to make the cufflinks which she had designed herself. Below is the perfect little set of instructions that Lynelle drew up for me, with an accurate description of exactly what she wanted made.

So I set to work handcrafting the precise little spirals from 18ct yellow gold and soldered each spiral to a sterling silver base. The cufflinks were then carefully finished off with contrasting surfaces- matte for the base and a high polish on the spirals. And here is the result!

But, the story doesn't end here; the real tale began after the cufflinks were complete! On the weekend before Lynelle and Mark's wedding anniversary, I was heading to Canberra's Old Bus Depot Markets where I had arranged for Lynelle to collect Mark's gift. I got up bright and early to hit the road only to find I was unable to go anywhere. You see, I live in Wagga Wagga and you may remember that we had quite a lot of flooding here in early March. Driving all around my suburb, I was shocked to realise that I was cut off by flood waters in every direction.

With no way for me to deliver the special gift on time, Lynelle hatched a plan to present Mark with a gift box containing a photograph of his new cufflinks. I emailed a picture through to her and she printed it off, wrapping it up inside of the velvet box that housed her precious 21st birthday pearls. On the morning of their anniversary, after being presented with his photograph, Mark dressed for work with the rolled up picture tucked mockingly into his cuffs, giving Lynelle a good laugh.

Earlier this week I received an email from Lynelle in which she said, "How ABSOLUTELY PERFECT the cufflinks are! Mark loves them and wears them at least once a week. He recently asked me to hand him some links as I was walking past his collection, and when I asked which ones he just said 'the best ones' - which, of course, I took to mean the Fibonacci!"

Thanks for being such good sports about that little delivery hitch and congratulations Lynelle and Mark on your twenty years of marriage. Here's to the next twenty!

Love from The Jeweller. xx

The Golden Guitar Plectrum

This unusual job came about when muso Chris came upon my stall at Canberra's Old Bus Depot Markets. Striking up a conversation about gold and silversmithing with Japonicity staff member Caitlin, he asked if it was possible to melt down some gold rings to be formed into a guitar plectrum. The answer, "Of course!"

Caitlin ran the idea by me and I was immediately interested. Chris was not necessarily after a pick to play music with, more an object to hold (kind of like a worry stone). The gold he had for me to use was from his parents' wedding rings. He felt a sentimental attachment to the rings, but not being a jewellery wearer himself, he wanted to give them new life in an object that would be significant to him.

I love the shape of the little plectrum that Chris gave me to copy. The smooth curves of the surface feel so good to hold and caress. What a beautiful way to bring new life to some old jewellery. It would make a beautiful pendant or charm too. Maybe it will be turned back into jewellery in its next incarnation.

Love from The Jeweller. xx

The Engagement of Brett and Lou

I recently had the pleasure of handcrafting this classic solitaire ring for a gorgeous couple, Brett and Lou.  The half round band in 18ct yellow gold is slightly tapered towards the top. A four corner claw setting in 18ct white gold holds the internally flawless princess cut diamond. The setting is architecturally inspired. Sweeping curves meet strong, straight lines.

The lucky bride-to-be is enjoying her dream ring, with almost a carat of sparkling perfection in a simple and timeless design. Congratulations Brett and Lou, I look forward to making your wedding rings in the future!

Love from The Jeweller. xx

The First Birthday Bracelet for Baby Annie

I was recently asked to design and make a silver bracelet for a friend's daughter as a first birthday gift. The brief was to include the little girl's name- Annie, the birth stone for April- diamond, a message from her parents- "Love Mum and Dad", and the year- 2012.

After some consideration, I decided to make a little cluster of charms on a simple, oval link bracelet. The largest charm is a silver disc with Annie hand-stamped into the front and the message from her parents engraved onto the back. To this charm, I added a second disc with 1 stamped into the front and 2012 engraved on the back. Finally a little diamond-set blossom to complete the thoughtful gift.

Last week Annie's mum Carissa sent me some photos from Annie's first birthday. I love the little glimpses of her new bracelet on her wrist! A unique and personal gift. I do hope Annie treasures her bracelet for a lifetime.

Love from The Jeweller. xx

The Wrap-Up of April 2012

Now where did April go!? If I didn't have thirty photographs to prove that I lived through it, I would swear that I went to sleep some time around the start of the month and when I woke up it was over! Well regardless of how quickly April disappeared, here we are again at that time of the month where I reflect upon my progress of all the goals I set in my first ever blog post "New Year, New Resolutions, New Blog!"

So how's that balance between personal and professional life going? Very heavily weighted on the personal life side of things really. A fabulous change from my stressed out, work consumed 2011. I have been very focused on getting myself healthy again after being knocked down by a recurring virus and spinal problems. I was also lucky enough to spend time with some of my nearest and dearest family and friends; enjoying my grandmother's 90th birthday party and meeting the baby daughter of a close friend. I must say, this baby girl, my very own namesake, has to be the highlight of my year so far! But, all this personal time is leaving me feeling rather guilty about the lack of jewellery work being done in my studio over the last few weeks. I am well and truly due for some serious bench time.

I'm still loving taking my daily photograph in "Instagram" (to follow, download from the App Store and search for me under user name the_jeweller). It really does help me to focus on life's smaller pleasures. Here is my April in photographs.

May is set to be an exciting month! Several of my good friends have birthdays and my husband is turning 30. I have a big surprise planned for him, but my lips are sealed (wouldn't want to risk pulling off a big surprise by blogging about the details). I'm going to finish the grand clean-up of my home and workshop and hopefully this month will see my new bathroom finished too (still waiting on that vanity). With my back improving every day, I'm determined to return to my weight loss program and shift a few more kilos. On the work front, I have new collections in the pipe-line, lots of fabulous commissions and even a small exhibition coming up! Bring on May.

Love from The Jeweller. xx

The Facebook Ring Experiment

I was recently approached by London jewellery designer Andrew Geoghegan to spread the word about a very interesting experiment that he is running at the moment. I had a look at his fantastic work and decided it was definitely worth sharing.

He is designing a ring in partnership with his facebook likers. Each week, Andrew asks a question regarding a different aspect of the ring design. A series of options are presented, allowing the audience to vote on the decision.

http://www.facebook.com/andrewgeogheganjewellery/app_197602066931325

Follow the link above for a funny little video about the "Facebook Ring Competition". The experiment is about one third of the way through, but it's never too late to join in. Oh I can't wait to see what the people choose!

Love from The Jeweller. xx

The Jeweller in Arabia Part Three- Being a Tourist

In my earlier blog post "The Jeweller in Arabia", I shared with you the experience of the Dubai Gold Souk and seeing the world's largest gold ring. Then in "The Jeweller in Arabia Part Two- Pattern Inspiration" I showed you some of the inspiring Islamic patterns that I discovered in the UAE, which are bound to influence my future work. Everything I do seems to somehow relate back to my profession as a jeweller and whilst I did spend a lot of my holiday gawping at the scenery and contemplating how it may influence my work in some way, it was a holiday and I did do my fair share of touristy stuff. Today's post is a rather non-jewellery one, with some pretty tourist pictures of my holiday in the United Arab Emirates.

So, other than thinking jewellery, what did I get up to during my time in Arabia? Well, I lazed by the pool with a book, walked along the beach, and shopped 'til I dropped, of course! I ate in fine restaurants and street side cafes, discovering a new obsession with fresh hummus and chocolate covered dates. I toured Abu Dhabi's Grand Mosque and learnt about the Emirati culture and religion. I shopped in the souks and world famous malls with their indoor ski slopes and giant aquariums. I scaled Burj Khalifa, the world's highest building, and had a drink at the Atlantis Hotel on a giant man-made island in the shape of a palm tree. I explored the desert, rode a camel and had a close encounter with a peregrine falcon. I watched the musical fountains and marvelled at the city lights by night with a drink in hand and a smile a mile wide. All in the company of my fabulous friend and personal tour guide Mike who is living and working in Dubai. I'm sure I could go on, but I'll let my pictures do the talking. Here is a selection of some of my favourite snaps from Arabia.

Yes, it truly was an amazing holiday. Enough bragging from me today. More adventures, and plenty of jewellery stories from me soon.
Thanks for reading!

Love from The Jeweller. xx

The Jeweller in Arabia Part Two- Pattern Inspiration

So, as previously mentioned, I have recently returned from a trip to the United Arab Emirates. As a child I loved the Disney film 'Aladdin', watching the video over and over again. So you can imagine how thrilled I was to find myself amongst a real life Arabian paradise. Apart from being safe, immaculately clean and loads of fun, everything in Dubai is just BEAUTIFUL! The attention to detail is beyond anything I have ever seen. Artworks of geometric patterns adorn the facades of buildings, bridges and street lamps. Everywhere I looked there was something to be admired, photographs waiting to be taken. Here is a montage that I have created to show you some of these beautiful embellishments.

My new found love for Islamic art is the perfect inspiration for a new jewellery range. The ideas are flowing in thick and fast. But first, I need to catch up on all the work I put off over the last couple of months! So off to the workbench I go. More tales soon. :-)

Love from The Jeweller. xx

The Confession

It has been almost two weeks since my last blog post; a far cry from my commitment of telling a tale every third day. The Kidson Jewellery and Japonicity facebook pages have been unusually quiet too. I'm starting to receive some of those "Where have you gone?" and "Why so quiet, are you ok?" kind of messages. So here is my confession- I have been sick, tired, sulky and yes, I'm not afraid to admit it, even just a bit lazy!

At first it was jet lag and an unhappy belly from airsickness on a long flight. Then a virus (probably picked up on the airplane) kicked in a few days later. Just as I thought I was getting better, round two hit and the body aches, fever and mucus *cringe* started all over again. Combine that with an excruciatingly sore back (newly diagnosed scoliosis and bulged disc, yep, I've been in a world of pain!) and post-holiday-blues. Well, I'm sure you get the point; I have been one miserable jeweller for the past few weeks.

But enough of the whingeing and excuses, I am picking myself up off the floor and jumping back into life. I have spent the last week travelling around visiting some of my fabulous friends and family and am feeling back on top of the world. I have lots of exciting things to make for my beautiful clients and stories aplenty to tell you of my recent adventures.

Here's to getting out of the rut and back into the swing of things!

Love from The Jeweller. xx

The Left Overs

Before getting on with my stories of recent travels and jewellery adventures, I want to complete a tale which I began to tell you last month; Katrina's stories.

After creating "The Ring With a Hinge", there were four emeralds and one diamond left over from Katrina's original eternity ring, that I had not been able to utilise within her new ring. As the stones were from her precious bridal jewellery, she wanted to use them all up in new pieces that she could love and wear again. Admiring my Encased Designs, Katrina suggested a pendant with one of her favourite Japanese fabrics in shades of green, rimmed with the left over emeralds and diamond. I re-designed the smaller sized Encased Designs pendant to have a nice thick rim in which to set the stones. The result was lovely; a really nice new take on my production range.

Katrina's pendant in sterling silver with Japanese fabric encased behind acrylic and set with emeralds and a diamond.

Then, after making "The Second Ring For Katrina" there was a very small amount of gold left over. With an idea in my mind of some earrings that I wanted to test out, I suggested a pair of stud earrings. Katrina was happy to let me create anything I wanted her for and so I went to work on these little dome and ball earrings that had been on my mind for a while.


Katrina's earrings 9ct white gold domes with 18ct yellow gold balls.

Katrina always brightens my day whenever I see her. She has such a positive attitude in life and spreads that positivity with her wherever she goes. It has been an absolute pleasure making her jewellery and I do enjoy the fact that she is always wearing my work every time I see her.

Love from The Jeweller. xx

The Wrap-Up of March 2012

March is gone and with a busy April on the horizon, I am home in Australia and ready to get back into my studio. Before I get back to writing my promised stories of jewellery and travel, here is my wrap-up of the month that was March 2012.

With flights booked to leave on an overseas trip on March 7th, the month started in absolute chaos. I always seem to bite off more than I can chew, and that week was no exception. I had a large volume of work to complete, that three jewellers working full time would have struggled with. So I worked day and night running on an average of three hours sleep a night like a crazed jewellery making machine. My poor assistant Tania was working ten hour days in the studio, a big change from her usual ten hours per week. At the end of it all she promptly said to me, "You and I should not work together tired and cranky, that really sucked!" I couldn't agree more. The first week of March did really suck. But by the time March 7th came around I had somehow managed to finish all the important jobs and this very tired jeweller was winging her way across the globe.

The rest of the month was filled with adventures around the United Arab Emirates and Bangladesh, returning to Australia just in time to be at the wedding of one of my closest friends, textiles designer Amy Kerr from "Moyou". I won't go into the details of my trip or Amy's wedding today; there is so much to tell you that I will have to spread it over several blog posts in the coming month.

So how am I going with all those new year's resolutions? House isn't bad, a little messy but nothing that a good day of cleaning and tidying won't fix. The studio is coming along too (*little happy dance*). I spent a big two days working my way through some of the mess as soon as I arrived home from my trip. On the weight loss front, well, you all know how hard it is to diet whilst on holidays. I am quite proud to say that I only put on half a kilo during my trip. Not a bad effort really! I do admit that I totally ruined my no-stress-new-year hopes during that first week of March. But if I only have one or two weeks of that hair-pulling stress in 2012, life will be much improved on previous years. Oh, and for those waiting on further bathroom reno info, there is none. Still no word on an arrival date for my vanity, and until that happens progress is at a standstill.

Last but not least, I am still enjoying my photo-a-day challenge. Those with an iPhone or iPad are most welcome to follow my images from day to day by downloading the free "instagram" app and searching for me under the user name the_jeweller. Here is my March in photographs.

Sorry again for my lack of blogging over the last month. I couldn't bear to spend too much time in front of the computer writing when there were so many exciting things to see and explore on my trip. All the stories of my March adventures and plenty more jewellery tales are coming soon, I promise!

Love from The Jeweller. xx

The quickie

Just a very quick little message to all my readers.

My apologies for my lack of blogging these last couple of weeks. As you would be aware from my last post, I am away travelling at the moment. I had intended on posting on my usual schedule of every third day but have just been too busy exploring the world!

I will be back next week though, with tales aplenty.

Love from The Jeweller. xx

The Jeweller in Arabia

Yep, this jeweller is currently exploring Arabia!! I write to you today from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.

I was a little tentative upon departure from Australia last Thursday, as this is a place that I previously knew very little about. I am visiting an old friend who is living in Dubai, and knew I’d be very well looked after during my visit, but honestly I did not expect what I have found here. What a surprise this place is! Talk about multicultural! People from every part of the globe are making their lives in Dubai and when you walk down the street you see every type of dress imaginable from Brits and Aussies getting around in singlets, shorts and thongs, to traditional Arab garments and saris. This is the most relaxed, peaceful, and accepting place I have ever witnessed. If you are respectful of the local people and their customs and beliefs, they are equally respectful of yours. Now, I am not saying the entire continent is like this, but Dubai is certainly an amazingly relaxed place. Honestly, my cheeks are getting sore from grinning!!

So, on to the jewellery. A few days ago my friend Mike took me down to Dubai’s Gold Souk.  WOW! Streets lined with shops selling masses of 22k yellow gold. Rows of bangles, earrings, necklaces, rings, bullion and coins. This jeweller had never seen such a volume of precious metal in her life!

Amongst all that bling lies the largest gold ring in the world. This thing is so big that I think I could stand inside of it, pull it up around my waist and still have room to spare. Residing at Kanz Jewels, the ring is MASSIVE! Sitting proudly in the window next to this magnificent object is a certificate from the Guinness Book of World Records.
 

This ridiculous golden ring is crafted in solid 21k gold and is named the Namjat (Star of) Taiba. The outer diameter of the ring measures 700mm and the piece weighs in at a whopping 63.87kgs. It houses an impressive 5.1kgs of crystal stones and reputably took 55 workers 45 days to complete.

More from Arabia soon.
Love from The Jeweller. xx

The Second Ring for Katrina

Katrina was so pleased with "The Ring With a Hinge" that she soon had me making her a second hinged ring. This time she brought me an old ring with a gorgeous white topaz to re-model. The stone is beautiful, big, deep and clear.

For this style of hinge to operate well, there needs to be a lot of tension within the ring. This requires a thicker than normal band (shank) and very solid stone settings. Therefore I began the construction with a simple and strong, square conic bezel setting within a parallel band. I then carved little triangle shapes into the corners of the setting as well as cutting a triangular window into the front and back sides. These time consuming little alterations to an otherwise plain design made all the difference, creating a gorgeous sculptural seat for the stone.

Katrina's reaction to this second ring was almost as good as the first. She was thrilled to bits. That woman makes my heart sing!

Love from The Jeweller. xx

The Ring With a Hinge

During my first six months out of university I was working as the manufacturer in a jewellery shop in central Wagga Wagga. It was during this time that I met my mentor Michael. With many years experience in the industry and the patience of a saint, he is always happy to teach me new skills. It was Michael who showed me how to construct a special hinge that he adds to rings for clients who are affected by arthritis.

Early on in my market days, Katrina and her husband Ken came by my market stall. Katrina admired some of the rings that I had on display and mentioned how terribly disappointing it was that she could no longer get any of her rings over the arthritis-riddled joints of her fingers. Remembering Michael's novel design, I offered to try remodelling Katrina's old rings into a hinged ring. Katrina and Ken were much more confident in my abilities than I was at that point. With a 'nothing ventured, nothing gained' attitude, they handed over Katrina's original engagement, wedding and eternity rings to see what I could come up with.

After a practise go in silver, I melted down Katrina's old rings and created a new hinged ring shank with a simple, but strong bezel setting for her engagement ring diamond. Add a couple of side stones from the original eternity ring and Katrina's new ring was complete.

After many years of being unable to wear her precious wedding ring, it was with tears of joy that Katrina clipped her new hinged ring onto her hand. To date, this was my proudest moment as a jeweller, one that I doubt will ever be eclipsed.

Love from The Jeweller. xx

The Eternity Ring for Chris and Lupe

In June 2010 I met Guadalupe (aka Lupe) at the Old Bus Depot Markets in Canberra. This bubbly little lady from Mexico, with her bright eyes and infectious smile, had spied my rose gold Spring Blossom Ring sets. She explained to me that she had been looking everywhere for an engagement ring but was not keen on the rings she had been trying on in main-stream jewellery stores. Having fallen in love with the blossom rings on the spot, Lupe set up an appointment with me for the following week to show Aussie fiancé Chris the rings.


When I got together with the pair the next week, I learned that they had met online in early 2008. After a couple of years of back-and-forth international visits for both of them, Lupe followed her heart all the way across the globe from Mexico to Australia. That leap of faith paid off and the wedding date was set for February 2011. Chris agreed that the blossom rings were the perfect choice for Lupe and they put in an order for three rings; the engagement ring now, and a wedding ring each for February of the following year. As the gorgeous couple were wanting to start a family, we also discussed possibilities for an eternity ring to complete the set after the birth of their first child.

Sweethearts Chris and Lupe on their wedding day, 26th February 2011

You can imagine my excitement last month when I received an e-mail from Chris. The e-mail read "It's time for part three of Lupe's ring please! Our daughter was born on December 8th." The names chosen are Estela Alma Aurelia- Estela after Lupe's aunt, Alma after Chris' mum and Aurelia "because it's a pretty name". Chris decided on a white gold band set with sapphires to go in between Lupe's two diamond set blossom rings.


Lupe's eternity ring in white gold with Ceylon sapphires, and wedding ring in rose gold with diamond.

When he snuck down to pick up Lupe's surprise eternity ring a couple of weeks ago (just in time for their first wedding anniversary), I was delighted that he brought with him the cute little Estela to meet me. Below is a picture of Chris with his little princess and Lupe's new ring.

Chris took Lupe out for an anniversary dinner last weekend and hid the ring under the dessert menu. The feedback I got from Chris is that Lupe is "absolutely stoked" with her rings. Congratulations Chris and Lupe. Thank you so much for allowing me to be part of these special moments in your lives. I look forward to hearing about your future adventures together.


Love from The Jeweller. xx

The Wrap-Up of February 2012

It doesn't feel like it could possibly have been a whole month since my January wrap-up! But here we are on the last day of February and it is time for another one of those personal-progress-updatie-kind-a-posts.

February has been nowhere near as chilled-out as I had hoped my year might be. Upon deciding to take an un-planned overseas trip next month, I have had to somehow squeeze March's workload in with my February jobs. My home is still looking quite good, although I can feel the clutter creeping its way back in at the edges. I must get back on top of that! The cleaning schedule that I was so good at sticking to last month has gone out the window. In the face of endless renovation dust and mess, I have simply lost the motivation. My crazy busy workload has not helped the situation either. Hopefully a completed bathroom late next month will renew my housework enthusiasm. Don't even ask about the state of my studio. It's not a total lost cause, just one that I continue to push to the back of my "Things To Do" list.

My photo-a-day challenge where I am taking one iPhone photograph each day using the "Instagram" app, is still going strong. I will continue to show my pictures at the end of each month, but if you'd like to follow my images from day to day, you can download Instagram free from the App Store. I am posting under the user name the_jeweller. Here is my February in photographs.

On the weight-loss front, I am now 4kg down. That is exactly one third of the way to meeting my goal of 12kg. I would like those numbers to be moving southwards a little faster, but at least my weight is heading in the right direction.

So what's next in the chronicles of the adventures of The Jeweller? I'm heading overseas! My very good friend and fellow jeweller Sinead Buckney is currently living over in Bangladesh and I am ducking over to visit her. On the way, I am visiting another old friend, Mike, in the United Arab Emirates. Ok, I'll admit, Dubai is really more of a detour than "on the way". I am very much looking forward to exploring these foreign lands and taking you along for the ride. Thanks again to my readers, bring on March.

Love from The Jeweller. xx

The Bathroom Renovation Update

I keep getting messages from my Facebook readers asking how the bathroom renos are going. The answer- SLOWLY. The problem with the fact that we are doing so much of the work ourselves is that weekends are never long enough and the spaces in between weekends are far too long. In saying that though, it is really coming along well.

The ground work for the plumbing went in first, then we put in new walls, ceiling and a concrete slab. After waiting for the concrete to cure, the waterproofer came in and did his part (stinking us out in the process- resin smells horrible!). Another few days of waiting and we began the LONG process that has been laying the tiles and fitting the bathtub. An estimated four day job has turned into eight, but is almost done now. Here are some pictures, all taken from the same vantage point. The first is the 'before' picture, the middle one is the state of my bathroom last time I wrote of the subject and the third is a current view.

The gorgeous oak vanity that I have ordered from overseas will be here some time in late March/early April. The project is an on-going one until that final part arrives to make our room perfect. In the meantime we'll be putting in the toilet, painting walls, putting up a shower screen and accessorising. I'll do a final bathroom reveal once it is all completed. Until then, you just have to be patient. Not having a bathroom in my home is certainly testing mine!

Love from The Jeweller. xx

The Holiday Opal- A Pendant for Pauline

Pauline and her husband are lovely repeat clients of mine. Some time ago, they purchased a custom made, 'Encased Designs' pendant from me. Recently Pauline dropped in to see me at the Old Bus Depot Markets in Canberra, bringing with her a loose piece of boulder opal. The pair had purchased the gem from a shop in Blackall in Central Queensland on a holiday up north. Boulder opals are natural Australian gemstones which form as veins of colour in the brown ironstone of certain areas in Queensland. Because these coloured veins are so thin, opal cutters leave a layer of ironstone on the back to give the gems more bulk and prevent damage to the delicate opals. In general, I'm not usually a big fan of opal, but this stone is amazing.  There is something captivating about the organic shape and sweeping bands in tones of blue that move like liquid across the stone.

Pauline asked me to design and make a silver pendant to hold the opal. With her only instructions being "something simple", Pauline gave me complete control over the design. After tossing around a few ideas I crafted a highly polished silver surround to run around the edge of the stone. Then across the center of the design I created wide tabs to hold the opal in place (without the use of any yucky glue). The tabs line up with the natural colour banding in the middle of the opal and have a matte finish, to contrast with the high polish of the surround. Add a square shaped bail and leather cable, and the job was done.

Front, side and back views of Pauline's opal pendant.

The couple collected their necklace from me last week and seemed really pleased with the result. With lovely holiday memories and a beautiful design, I do hope you enjoy wearing it for years to come Pauline.

Love from The Jeweller. xx

The Ring With Bite- A Snake For Jenni

Some clients come to me because they love my design aesthetic. Others choose me as their jeweller because I have the skills and attention to detail that they are after. This job was definitely the latter. I've never really been an animal jewellery type of person and this snake has little to share with my own sense of design.

Jenni sells handcrafted glass beads that she makes from molten glass in a technique called lampworking. We met at the Old Bus Depot Markets in Canberra where we both sell our wares. Recently, Jenni brought me a little bundle of her old gold jewellery that she wanted to recycle along with a hand-drawn picture of the snake ring she wanted made.

And so the making of the snake ring began. I melted down Jenni's old jewellery into a solid gold ingot, then spent hours rolling, forging, hammering, sawing and filing away at the metal. The process was painful! I mean literally. Jenni's little bundle of gold included several hollow charms. In what can only be labeled as complacency, I totally forgot the dangers of heating hollow objects. The air inside of the piece expands as it is heated and can cause the jewellery to explode. The best way to combat this is by simply drilling a small hole in the piece, allowing the air to escape. Of course I didn't even give it a thought. I just threw the jewellery into my crucible and put the torch to it. I was lucky to escape with a very minor burn to my eyelid and a few singed eyelashes. The other little bite that came from this snake is a cut to my index finger where my saw slipped whilst scoring one of those many scales into the surface of the snake. I wonder if the day will ever come that I stop injuring my poor little fingers whilst making jewellery?

So in the end was it all worth it? Absolutely! I feel a great sense of pride looking at the asp that I have carved from solid gold. The piece reminds me of something from ancient Egypt. I can imagine queen Cleopatra adorned in snake rings and arm bands which would have been made using the same techniques as I have used to create this ring. I was stoked to get home from the markets yesterday to find a message from Jenni on facebook saying that she was so excited to have her new ring. She said it is "so much better" than she imagined. Another happy customer. Thanks Jenni, you are a beautiful friend and I hope you enjoy your ring.

Love from The Jeweller. xx

The Spring Blossom Earrings

I only have time for a quick post today, so I thought I'd share some pictures of the Spring Blossom Earrings from my retail brand Japonicity.

These whimsical little blossoms appear so delicate and soft, but are actually hand sculpted from solid and strong sterling silver. They are very light weight, comfortable to wear and come in either hooks or studs. Spring Blossom Earrings are available in four sizes ranging from a teeny blossom measuring just 6.5mm up to the premium size of 15mm.

If you would like your very own pair of Spring Blossom Earrings, prices range from $49 to $79. Orders can be made either via phone or email. Check out the Japonicity website for further details.

Love from The Jeweller. xx

The 4C's

Cut, Colour, Clarity, Carat Weight- The four major aspects of diamond grading. As I currently have a few clients looking for their perfect diamond, this topic is really at the top of my mind. So I thought I'd share both a story of my recent experiences with the Australian diamond industry, and some diamond facts.

When I was new to the jewellery industry, I found it difficult to find gemstone, and particularly diamond dealers. As I was inexperienced and not spending great volumes of money, plenty of dealers wouldn't give me the time of day. BIG MISTAKE! Young, emerging jewellers are the future of the industry. Give them a little bit of your time early on and they will be your loyal clients long into the future. Who knows, in a few years time they may be your best customers. As a student, I found the lovely Kathy who was working for one of Australia's major coloured gemstone dealers. Several years later, now as a fully qualified jeweller, I needed a diamond supplier as well. I rang a company recommended to me by a friend. Who should answer the phone, but Kathy! My favourite gemmologist had transferred companies. It was such a relief to know that I had someone I trusted to buy diamonds from. Kathy has a young family now and is no longer working in the industry, but over the years I have gotten to know many of the other gemmologists from both companies. They are still my preferred dealers due to their fabulous customer service, quality goods, competitive prices and reliability.

Recently, I had a customer insisting on a diamond of a certain size, but with a restricted budget. My favourite diamond company was unable to provide me with the stone I needed at the right price, so I started looking further afield. I found a dealer with a stone with all the right specifications. After signing the paperwork and paying a hefty security deposit, the diamond arrived. When it arrived, to be very honest, I was appalled. Based on previous experience, the colour and clarity stated on the certificate were not up to my standards. It was nowhere near the quality that I had expected. This brings me to my topic of the 4C's and the Australian diamond industry.

CUT: Refers to the quality of the cutting. The better the cut, the more brilliant the diamond. That sparkle comes from the proportion, finish and symmetry of the diamond facets. It is the single most important aspect of any diamond. Without a good cut, your stone will appear dull and lifeless.

COLOUR: Ranges from D (colourless) to Z (yellow/brown). D and E are colourless, F and G are fine white, and H and I are common white. K through to O are tinted, and from O down they are considered "fancy colours" and come under names such as Champagne or Canary Yellow.

CLARITY: Refers to the amount and size of natural imperfections (known as inclusions) in the stone. IF means internally flawless. A stone graded VVS1-VVS2 has very very small inclusions and VS1-VS2 has very small inclusions when viewed with a 10x optical jeweller's loupe. SI1-SI2 does have slight inclusions, but these should not be visible to the naked eye. I1-I2-I3 graded stones have got visible inclusions.

CARAT WEIGHT: This is the weight of the stone. One carat is divided into 100 points. Therefore, a diamond weighing half a carat is 50 points, one weighing a quarter of a carat is 25 points, etc. A quarter carat, round brilliant cut stone generally measures between 3.90 and 4.15mm. Half a carat ranges between 5.00 and 5.30mm. A one carat round brilliant cut diamond will measure somewhere in the region of 6.40 and 6.60mm.

A sample of some diamond rings that I have created for clients over the last three years.

So, now that you understand diamonds, you will appreciate my shock when this G-SI2 graded stone had a visible dark spot in the top, and was not as bright a white as I had hoped. My first question was "Why?!". How can this certificate claim that the stone is a G-SI2 when I have seen similar diamonds graded as H-I1. The answer- overseas diamond grading laboratories. This stone was graded at a foreign gemmological institute which does not meet the high standards of the Australian Diamond Grading Laboratory. As I have been sticking with my trusty diamond dealer all these years, I did not realise that so many of the diamonds we get here in Australia have been graded in the USA and Europe. Now it needs to be said, the diamond I looked at last week was a lovely stone at a fabulous price. If I was after a nice, white, big stone with a little inclusion, it would have been perfect. But I really did want a G in colour and SI in clarity with no visible inclusions. So, I sent it back.

In the end my client chose quality over size and went for a slightly smaller stone with an excellent cut, great colour and high clarity from my preferred supplier. The experience of the last week confirms that my original diamond dealer is offering fabulous quality goods. I will be sticking with them from now on!

For anyone looking at buying a diamond with a foreign certificate, you can request that a second report be conducted by the Australian Diamond Grading Laboratory for around $50. If you are particularly fussy about your diamond grading, as I am, it may be worth the little bit of extra cash.

For more information about the 4C's, I recommend a visit to the Eternity Diamonds web site. Oh, and happy Valentines' Day to all the lovers. There will certainly be some lucky girls getting new diamonds today!

Love from The Jeweller. xx

The Tie Clip for Rebecca

Now it has to be said that I'm a little bit of a sucker for taking on those little sentimental jobs. I know that the value of jewellery is often so much more than the material worth of the piece. When an item that has held significant personal value breaks, it can be very difficult to find assistance. Plenty of jewellers wouldn't bother to offer to help with a repair or re-make because they don't think it is 'worth it'.

Mid-way through last year, Rebecca approached me with a broken tie clip belonging to her husband. This tie clip held significant value to Rebecca and her man, as the design matches her wedding ring. The clip was made from steel, a material that I do not have the tools or expertise to work in, so I offered to re-make the design in sterling silver and gold with the promise that if it ever broke again, I could solder it back together free of charge. Rebecca happily accepted my offer and so began the making of my first ever tie clip!

I'll admit, I was pretty nervous about this job. As with every first, I wasn't certain how well I could pull it off. I was worried about getting the right amount of tension to hold the clip comfortably on the tie, as well as doing justice to the lovely design of the original. I'm very good at procrastinating and with no confirmed delivery date for the piece, it was pushed towards the back of my pile of jobs for several months. Rebecca is one of those fabulous and extremely chilled-out customers who just kept saying; "Whenever you get to it, no hurry, I can wait", even though she had paid in full at time of ordering. Finally came the time when I couldn't bear to delay any longer. I set a date for Rebecca to come and collect the piece and got to work creating it.



Rebecca's tie clip: a gift for her husband in sterling silver with 18ct yellow gold.

What a huge sense of satisfaction this completed tie clip gave me! I thoroughly enjoyed making it, the tension was perfect and the design came up really well. In fact, making this piece has me totally inspired to do a range of tie clips this year. Around Fathers Day perhaps? Maybe some cufflink and tie clip sets?

Thanks Rebecca for giving me this wonderful, inspirational job AND for your patience. I hope your husband is enjoying wearing his special tie clip again.
Love from The Jeweller. xx