The Wrap-Up of January 2012

Well here we are at the end of January already. It has been one month since my first blog post "New Year, New Resolutions, New Blog!" in which I professed to change my life. I thought it was time for an update about how this jeweller is progressing with all those ambitions.

My home is looking great and best of all, it FEELS beautiful. I re-arranged the bedroom, de-cluttered every room, and hung some more artwork on the walls. I wrote a cleaning schedule for those bigger chores (and am thus far sticking to it!) and I'm doing more of the little housekeeping things more regularly. When I was a child I used to dream about the home I would one day own, surrounding myself with all manner of beautiful things. I finally feel like I'm heading towards achieving the dreams of that little girl.

Unfortunately the same can not be said for my work-space. The bulk of the clutter from the house has been dumped in the studio with thoughts of "I'll sort that out later". My tools are in disarray and there are plenty of jewellery bits and pieces spread far and wide begging to be assessed, organised, and utilised.  It is definitely in my nature to be messy. Perhaps this is a symptom of a creative mind? I do know though, that it feels much better to have a clean and organised space in which to work. I'm sure I will be more productive when my studio is tidy too. I WILL get through the mess, one little bit at a time, until my work environment is as pleasant as my living environment.

At the start of the month I set myself a little challenge to take one photograph per day this year. I'm doing this for three reasons, one: because I love photography, secondly: to maintain perspective and focus on the little joys in my life and thirdly: as documentation of my year. Whilst I do love my Cannon digital SLR, I don't particularly want to lug it around with me everywhere I go for twelve months. So I decided iPhone pictures were the way to go.  I am using the "Instagram" app and if you'd like to follow my images from day to day, I am posting under the user name the_jeweller. Here is my January in photographs.

Oh, and on the "losing those extra kilos" front, I am 2.6kg down. Thats almost a quarter of the way to my goal of losing 12kg. Not too shabby for my January effort. If I can keep up the pace of just over half a kilo per week, I'll be at my ideal weight in no time.

Thank you to all my readers for the overwhelming support in the first month of my blogging adventure. I am loving your comments and emails. 2012 is on track to be a fabulous year! I hope you are enjoying it as much as I am. Bring on February.

Love from The Jeweller. xx

The Jeweller is Getting a New Bathroom!

In my very first blog post, "New Year, New Resolutions, New Blog!", I stated (rather loudly) that this year I am aiming to maintain a more healthy balance between personal and professional life. So, I think it is about time for a personal blog post or two.

My life is currently being consumed by a complete bathroom renovation! It is very exciting you see, as I have been living in a home with an outhouse for the last two and a half years.

We purchased our little shack in April 2009 for a bargain price which was barely more than the value of the block of land. The home was one of those real "renovator's delight" kind of properties. Although, we were attracted to the price and location, rather than the idea of fixing it up. The home is just one block away from a lovely lake and great little shopping centre, whilst still being only 15 minutes from town and our workshops. Before moving in we stripped the walls, painted, laid new carpet in the bedrooms, and put some doors on. Once these minor improvements had been made, the home was at least liveable. The minimal mortgage has meant we have been able to live rather luxuriously, with overseas trips, dinners out at the best restaurants, and nice vehicles to drive. I'd much rather live in a shack and have a high quality of life than live in a mansion and be constantly worried about cash flow.

BUT, in saying all that, our bathroom was TERRIBLE! Ugly, unfinished, cramped, impossible to clean, and with no toilet. I have been dreaming of ripping out that bathroom ever since we moved in. Here is the OLD bathroom, as it was when we purchased the house.


Last week, it was with great pleasure that we demolished the bathroom. Everything came out, floor, walls and all. Here are some images of the bathroom de-construction and the CURRENT state of my bathroom.

It is the first time that I have ever had the opportunity to design an entire room from the ground up. I have enjoyed choosing all the fixtures and fittings from tiles, to taps, the bath tub, and a TOILET! I will proudly reveal the results of my renovating when the bathroom is complete. Unfortunately that is some time away, as whilst the rest of my bathroom will be complete in a matter of weeks, the gorgeous vanity that I have designed my room around is being made overseas and won't be here for some months yet. In the meantime, enjoy this little concept montage that I have created for you using bits and pieces from my NEW bathroom.

Love from The Jeweller. xx

The Opal That Lloyd Mined

About a month ago, Lloyd found me at the Old Bus Depot Markets in Canberra. This charming gentleman OWNS an opal mine in Australia's opal capital Lightning Ridge. Excuse me for a moment whilst this jeweller descends into an "owning a mine full of amazing gemstones" fantasy!!

Lloyd had some opals which he had mined himself and was looking for someone to create a ring for his special lady. Well of course I told him that I was the perfect jeweller for the job. The challenge with this job was to design a style of ring that would integrate the uniquely triangular shaped stone. After MUCH thought and consideration (as well as a couple of prototypes), here is the ring that I made for Lloyd.


Lloyd's ring in sterling silver with Australian opal.

I was rather pleased with the results and very much hope that Lloyd's lucky lady enjoys his special gift.
Well, I'm off to continue those mining fantasies... Oh, just imagine the excitement of digging for days then suddenly uncovering something extraordinary!

Love from The Jeweller. xx

The First Engagement Ring

We are so busy renovating our home that I almost forgot today’s blog post!  Here is a little story for you to read whilst Mr Jeweller and I continue ripping out our old bathroom. (And yes, there will be a story about the renovations a little further down the track.)

The first engagement ring that I made was just six months after I graduated from university. An engagement ring is a very special piece. It is the ultimate token of love, a symbol of a special promise, second only to a wedding band.

I designed the ring around an amazing watermelon tourmaline that I purchased the previous year at a jewellery and gemstone trade event. The colour change from green, to white, to pink, is caused by variations of fluid chemistry combined with heat radiation during crystallisation. The spectacular stone is flanked by princess cut diamonds and set into an 18ct yellow gold 'V' shape, with a band made from a 9ct white gold alloy with platinum.

Watermelon tourmaline engagement ring.

The handsome groom-to-be took his girlfriend of over four years up in a hot air balloon over our Nation's Capital and when the moment was right he pulled the ring OUT OF HIS SOCK! Her response was of course "YES!"

Selected images of the proposal day; hot air balloon flight over Canberra.

Ok, I'll admit it, this is a story about me! The lucky girl is me and that ring is mine. My gorgeous groom and I got married twelve months later and now we are living happily ever after.
Love from The Jeweller. xx

The Lee Lin Chin Brooch Spin Off- A Brooch for Lyn

Having seen my "Lee Lin Chin" brooches during an exhibition, Lyn approached me to make her a personalised brooch in a similar style. Lyn was the Charles Sturt University Deputy Vice Chancellor (Administration), and I was honoured to receive the commission.

Lyn's Brooch.

Together we sat down with a range of silver scraps and off-cuts, arranging and rearranging, to design a piece that was just right for Lyn. The design reflected a combination of Lyn's own design aesthetic mixed with mine; the perfect collaboration between client and designer. Once complete, Lyn was kind enough to allow me to photograph her for my portfolio wearing our brooch.


Lyn wearing her brooch.

This design style (and that of the "Lee Lin Chin" brooches) is something I now reflect upon and still love the look of. I often contemplate creating a new retail range based upon this style... I'll add a mental note to that never-ending pool of designs I'd like to make one day.

Love from The Jeweller. xx

The Brooch Competition

Here is another one of my very early stories; from my third year at university in fact.

An assessment was set of us 'third year crew' to design work for media personality, SBS World News Australia presenter, and "Fashionista" Lee Lin Chin. The task was a bit of a test to push us beyond our own design constraints and create something with another person's specific style in mind. We were directed to study Ms Chin's aesthetic values and additionally, choose our own theme from which to draw inspiration for the work. I had recently come across some Korean wrapping cloths called pojagi. These beautiful pieces of cloth are created from all manner of available scraps of fabric sewn together and trimmed into a square. I'd been toying with the idea of creating work purely from bits and pieces of 'scrap' silver that I had heaped into the corner of my work bench from previous projects and set this as my theme.

My "Lee Lin Chin" twin brooches design in sterling silver.
Photograph by Emily Snadden.

With Ms Chin's contemporary design aesthetic and the beautiful pojagi in mind, I played for hours, arranging and rearranging pieces of off-cuts on my bench until I chose a series of 'scraps' and set about producing a pair of brooches. Some of the chosen silver pieces were plain; others had embossed or drilled and sawn-out patterns trimmed from other designs. I constructed little frames underneath each 'scrap' to hold the pieces at different levels and angles, then soldered them together onto a solid base. To each angled segment of the design, I then applied a range of surface finishes. From oxidised and brushed, to high polish, each piece of the design held something of its own.

At the end of the project Lee Lin Chin chose her favourite design and was given that piece of jewellery to wear. Mine was not the winning piece, that honor went to Susan O'Brien. I did, however, sell my design at the Federation Square Melbourne Design Market very soon after. I'm not sure where these brooches ended up. The woman who bought them from me was thinking of giving them as a gift. Wherever they are, I do hope they are being loved, worn and enjoyed.

Love from The Jeweller. xx

The Earrings For Tamsin- Love From Rick

From the story of my very first commission, to one of my most recent.

I first met Tamsin and Rick on the Canberra market scene in 2011. Tamsin is the creator of "Tick Tock Type" a quirky little brand making accessories from vintage typewriter keys and watch movements. When Rick approached me in November to make some diamond studs for Tamsin's Christmas present, I was delighted to take on the job. I'd been dreaming of these concave yellow gold domes with offset diamonds for quite some time. I knew that I'd love them and really hoped that they'd be perfect for Tamsin too. Rick liked the idea and a couple of weeks before Christmas, he snuck over to my market stall at the Old Bus Depot to pick them up. He was thrilled with the result, and all that was left was to see what Tamsin thought come Christmas day.

Tamsin's earrings. 18ct yellow gold with round brilliant cut diamonds set in white gold bezels.
(Diamonds- 10pt-GSi each).

Earlier this week, I was stoked to receive an email from Rick. His exact words were "Tam LOVED them- so, I think you came up perfectly on them". I can tell you, there is nothing THIS jeweller enjoys hearing more than that her work is being loved!!

Love from The Jeweller. xx

The First Commission- Maureen's Ring

As I promised last time, here is the story of my first piece of commission work.

Towards the end of my second year at university, we had a series of assessments about clients and commissions. This covered the subject of dealing with customers in relation to repairs and custom work. The university advertised internally for potential clients to put their hands up to act as clients and each student was given their own cases to work on.

Maureen's Ring photographed by Christopher Orchard.

My client was Maureen. She wanted a dress ring designed, and chose the materials of sterling silver, a baguette cut peridot, and two, square cut amethysts. The design was then left entirely to me and my imagination. The baguette peridot that I sourced for the job is particularly lovely and I decided that the best approach was to try to show off the gems to the highest degree possible. I therefore set upon designing an open-sided piece where the pavilion of each stone would be visible side-on. The band underneath was highly polished to reflect the colours of the gems both out the sides of the ring as well as up through the stones themselves. Maureen loved the design I came up with, and whilst actual execution of the "jobs" was not an essential part of the assessment, we agreed on a fee for the piece and I went ahead and made the ring that I had dreamed up into reality. And so, here it is. My first ever, completed, gem-set design! 

Maureen's Ring photographed by Christopher Orchard.

I could not have asked for a better first client than Maureen. She is a beautiful person and was a pleasure to work with. I love bumping into her around town every now and then. She is always happy to chat, tell me of her recent adventures and catch up on how my career is progressing. Best of all, she never fails to inform me that she continues to enjoy wearing my ring and gets lovely comments on it wherever she goes.

Love from The Jeweller. xx

The Road to Becoming a Jeweller (part two)

By now I guess you might be wondering which path I chose on my journey to becoming a jeweller. Well, I took the "University Route". Upon finishing my Higher School Certificate, I wanted to go to university. At first I wasn't even sure what I wanted to study! I just knew that I wanted further education before entering the work force. I looked at creative degrees from fine arts through to acting and even considered studying a Bachelor of Education to become a primary school teacher, but in the end, I knew I wanted to be an artist.

Four Origami Box Rings from my university graduating body of work.
Photograph by Emily Snadden.

My HSC major project for visual arts was a sculptural artwork in aluminium wire, so I went looking for something to study in the arts/sculpture field. Flipping through a printed guide of all the different university degrees available in the year to come, I came across some gold and silversmithing, and jewellery degrees. That's when it dawned on me. Jewellery was the most practical application for this little sculptor, with reasonable employment prospects for the future. In went my applications and before the HSC results were even released, I received a PREP (principal's recommendation entry program) offer for a position in the Bachelor of Arts (Jewellery) Degree at Charles Sturt University in Wagga Wagga.



My reward for three years of hard work- A Bachelor of Arts (Jewellery) With Distinction.

So in 2005 I moved from my tiny home town of 1,500 people in Central West NSW, down to the much bigger country town of Wagga Wagga. My major subject was jewellery, and I minored in business studies and photography. After three years of full time studying, learning and practising my skills, I graduated from university with distinction.



My best study buddy Fred (left) and me (right) waiting for our graduation ceremony.

Well, that's the beginning of my journey as a jeweller. Next time I'll share the story of some of my earliest work; my first commission!

Love from The Jeweller. xx

The Road to Becoming a Jeweller (part one)

People often ask me how I got into jewellery in the first place, so here is a little bit of information for people looking to learn jewellery themselves.

There are several different roads that one can take to become a jeweller. There is the traditional apprenticeship path, the university degree road or the self-taught-with-lots-of-time-and-practice route. There are pros and cons to each method, but they all have one thing in common, a jeweller's education is a career long process.

Image with thanks to the talented Leunig

Trade-Based Jewellers
An apprenticeship is the traditional method to become a jeweller. Over four years you learn all the skills associated with trade-based jewellery from polishing to repairs to making settings for diamond rings etc, etc.
Arts-Based Jewellers
University degrees and arts school courses are the option of choice for those wanting a more creative education. The basic skill set of sawing, drilling, soldering etc, is taught, then students are encouraged to spend time exploring design within a structure of practical assessments and exams.
Self-Taught Jewellers
There are amazing books, plenty of short courses and jewellers all over the place who are happy to share their knowledge. This makes learning the trade on your own very possible. Community arts schools are a great way to start learning a few skills and with plenty of time and practice, it is very possible to become a self-taught jeweller.

Unfortunately there can be a bit of segregation in the jewellery industry between trade-based jewellers and arts-based/self-taught jewellers. Some don't believe arts-based or self-taught jewellers are as good as those who have completed an apprenticeship, due to a lack of skills or speed when undertaking traditional tasks. On the flip side of the coin, what arts-based and self-taught jewellers lack in speed, they often make up for in design by pushing the boundaries and creating cutting edge pieces of wearable artwork.

Image with thanks to the talented Leunig

But at the end of the day, this jeweller believes that given plenty of time, experience and an open mind, every jeweller is capable of great things whether trade-based, arts-based or self-taught.
I'll tell you about my personal journey to becoming a jeweller next time.

Love from The Jeweller. xx