Favourite gemstone:Diamond. It’s intriguing and the more you work with diamonds, the more you appreciate them – especially when they have a colour. Favourite metal:Platinum, because it’s so malleable with a beautiful whiteness, and doesn’t oxidise! Favourite tool:Hammer, because it feels good to use. Best new tool discovery:A laser welder! It makes the impossible repairs possible. Best part of job:Most of the work I do is for private clientele, which includes one-off designs, remodelling of old jewellery and repairs, so it would be when you finally finish a piece of jewellery, and you are satisfied, and the client is extremely satisfied with the piece. Also, sharing your knowledge with others. Best tip to a jeweller:Experiment as much as you can with different techniques to develop your own design. What frustrates me most about the industry is…There is not enough appreciation for jewellery in this country. A lot of jewellery retailed here is imported. We have some of the world’s most talented jewellers, who are not recognised because of lack of exposure and public awareness. There needs to be a lot more promotion done. |