Favourite gemstone:Hands down my favourite gemstone is a sapphire. Purely because the range of colours that they come in, their lustre and how hard they are makes them a joy to work with.
They are so much fun when you show a client outside in daylight, the way the sapphire throws colour back and also changes colour in the sunshine is just brilliant. Favourite metal:18-carat yellow gold! I love the feeling of working with it but also that bright yellow colour is just so beautiful. It also brings a lovely colour contrast when making a piece with coloured gemstones. Favourite tool:My most used tool would be my head loupe. We need to protect our eyes in this industry and the head loupe makes detailed work much easier and without doubt when you can see easily you provide a higher quality piece. Best new tool discovery:I have just started using the GRS Thermo-Loc and I am really enjoying it, the ease of heat and set works really well for me. Best part of job:Talking to a client about a new piece, the excitement that they have during the design process is so lovely to be a part of. Their ideas are always fresh and you know it will be something they will cherish for a long time. Worst part of job:The constant cleaning! I have an open studio where the retail cabinets, client consult area and workshop is all open, the clients love to stop by and see their piece being worked on, but the cleaning is a daily task. Best tip from a jeweller:Every day in this trade you will still be learning. Best tip to a jeweller:Keep an open mind on new techniques and client ideas. Biggest health concern on the bench:There certainly are a few but my main concern for now is back and neck pain. I have a saddle seat and
a timer that is set to tell me to get up and stretch. Too many times I sit distracted by the piece I am making and time will just fly past. Love jewellery because: It tells a story, creates a memory to last a lifetime. Being a part of this process for a client is the reason why I come to work every day. |