With a bag of opal rough in my hand, that I’d had since I was young, I wandered into the local gem club. My goal was to see if there was someone there that could cut an opal out of the rough, which I could then take to a jeweller to have made into a ring.
You see, when I was only around 7 or 8, my grandfather bought me a pair of opal earrings. They matched a necklace he had bought for my grandmother. I cherished those earrings and developed a deep appreciation for Australian opals.
I can no longer remember how I came into possession of the opal rough I was now walking into the gem club with. I’d probably bought them from a gem show or local market stall; however, the idea of having a piece of jewellery made from this little bag of dusty rocks really appealed to the artist in me.
What I wasn’t prepared for, was that no one in the gem club would cut the stone for me.
With a sense of disappointment, I was about to leave when a man said, “we’ll teach you how to do it yourself, if you’re interested? And then show you how to make a ring with it.”
I left the gem club that day with a dainty little Coober Pedy opal cab in my hand, white and glittering the colours of the rainbow, hand cut by me! I went back two days later, and they taught me how to set the opal in a basic sterling silver ring.
I was hooked on the craft and decided to cut a couple more stones and create more rings.
I continued to learn the art of silversmithing by myself, winging it most of the time, learning through trial and error, making mistakes, and having wins.
Within a matter of weeks, I was buying stones online and making more and more pieces of jewellery! I was getting close to finishing a university degree and decided I would start a little business out of the jewellery I was making. With basic skills and a small batch of jewellery, I launched the fledgling business on Instagram.
Apart from my love of the craft, my purpose in creating this brand is to bring jewellery to you that empowers you to tell your story. I love seeing women dare to be themselves, bold and authentic, standing out from a crowd.
Jewellery is an extension of oneself – an outward display of who you are and what you stand for. I have always loved jewellery but could never quite find ‘my style’ in jewellery shops. So, I’m creating it for myself, and for you.
Mandy x