Cameos have found their way into many of my collections.
I have created a series of one-of-a-kind rings for my Be Yourself collection featuring small antique hand carved cameos. I particularly love the ones that are not perfectly preserved. I like to see the passage of time on these tiny faces.
I like dreaming about the lives of these women, and I love the idea to preserve them and celebrate them in a modern way.
I have also created some one-of-a-kind designs with beautiful and rare cameos.
I love these little beauties. I’m fascinated by the skill of the master carvers, creating these beautiful images in reverse. In a small cabochon, a world in miniature is crafted.
The vintage crystals I collect for my Being Crystal collection date mostly from the late 19th to the early 20th century. Created in the UK and the US, crystal carving was a closely guarded craft passed down through the generations.
My collection started with 5 crystals I bought many years ago and I have never stopped collecting them.
Who doesn't love flowers? I find these resin flower intaglios created in 1950 in Germany particularly beautiful in their simplicity. They capture the fleeting beauty of flowers, bringing a little joy to your day. The discovery of these beauties lead me to create my Garden Eden collection.
I like the idea that these are a sort of Essex crystal of the modern era.
These joyful lenticulars make me smile, bringing back nostalgic memories of my childhood. I wanted to capture this joy in a precious jewellery piece.
Just like magic the image changes with each movement - sparking the name of my lenticular charms collection - Abracadabra. Playing with them is a little addictive!
The discovery of several sets of resin cameos excited me.
I have used one set made in Japan in 1950, featuring gods, nymphs and warriors to create a set of reversible jewels - my Change Your Stripes collection. The resins represent your more serious adult nature, flip the ring to reveal a nostalgic and joyful miniature painting.
I also recently discovered a set of flower resins created in Japan in the 1960s. These became my new Peace Garden collection, capturing a moment of serenity.
My love of beads started with handmade African beads, I love the idea to possess something made in the past in a different country. I love their colours and intricate patterns.
I usually source my beads from a collector based in the US. I love spending hours in his studio, it’s so hard to make up my mind. I have the feeling that I need more and more, but probably this happens just because I love filling the drawers of my studio in Solonghello with them.
Some of the designs in my Bountiful Beads collection feature antique glass eye beads. These masterfully crafted glass beauties were commissioned by European explorers as a currency to trade with native tribes of Africa and the Americas. They were highly prized by many because of the intrinsic value placed on decorative items. Made from the late 1400s through to the early 1900s, the name 'eye bead' refers to their often spotted finish.
These chips were created by distilleries as a promotional tool for their syrups and liquors. They would be used in clubs and bars, with the different colours and shapes denoting different stakes.
I love to think of the debauched nights they have witnessed. The discovery of these beauties fuelled the creation of my Easy Living collection.
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