Can you tell us the story behind your brand?

As a jewellery designer living in Sydney, Australia, my aim is to create beautiful pieces that express my love for storytelling. Having worked three decades in the jewellery industry, I have learnt the importance of scale, perspective, colour and form where my personal style celebrates feminine beauty with an edge. I believe jewellery is talismanic, where my intention is to armour up gemstones that embellish and empower strong women. As an artist, I am proud to represent the oral traditions of my Samoan culture, where I tell stories of love, life and survival using metal and stone as my sacred script.

No matter what my heart chooses to create, everything is unique in nature and carefully measured by instinct.

What inspired you to enter the jewellery industry?

I entered the jewellery industry as a designer in a very non-traditional way. Although I had always been a creative, I received no formal training as a designer, after leaving school at Year 10. In fact, I learnt everything in a ‘boots on the ground’ kind of way where I came in through the retail sector. After working at a petrol station through my teenage years, I landed my first job in the jewellery industry with Australian design company, Dinosaur Designs in 1994. I worked in their production studio, sanding & drilling resin, gluing earrings and threading necklaces. In the 3rd year of working for them, I began managing their retail stores. Creatively, I learnt from Louise Olsen about the power of colour, through organic form. In 1998, I then worked for a gothic jewellery designer Giovanni D’ercole in the Strand Arcade, where I learnt about gemstones and the production of wax cast silver and gold jewellery. It was here that ignited my love for gems and precious metals. After 30 years in the business, Giovanni retired and closed the doors to his shop in 2016.

In a twist of fate whilst drinking wine on my last week in the Strand Arcade, gallerist Nina Cueva offered me a job in her contemporary jewellery gallery Courtesy of the Artist as a sales assistant. I started there in February. After a couple of weeks working in the gallery, Nina encouraged me to design something of my own. I had been in the industry long enough to know who I wanted to work with, so after a lot of encouragement I designed my very first jewellery pieces, which were two rings and a pair of earrings in rose and white gold.

These pieces were exhibited on the 25th of August, 2016 in a group show called ‘Rare Earth Australian Made’ where on opening night, all three pieces sold for over $20k. I cried with joy surprising not only myself, but my friends and family. The profits from these sales began my journey as a
jewellery designer, where after nine years my business has continued to grow, year on year. Despite the success, I was still suffering from imposter syndrome a couple of years ago because I couldn’t believe I had made it this far without a degree. My growth has been incremental but steady, which is why I made the very difficult decision in January this year, to leave the safety of being represented by a gallery and go it alone as an independent artist.

I have some very special projects planned over the next couple of years, where I am ready to go ‘global’. ‘Global’ to me is isn’t about having jewellery stores around the world or mass producing my work. The way I see my brand expanding globally, is to showcase my work in major cities around the world, through experiential events and intimate salons to connect with a wider audience. I finally have the confidence as an artist and business woman to reach for the stars. I want to break away from the traditional ‘gallery’ or ‘shop’ format for now, because it feels so limiting. Social media has already forced businesses to look beyond bricks and mortar which has ignited a fire in me.

Although the majority of my clients come to me through Instagram, jewellery still needs to be felt and touched in order for humans to connect with it. With this in mind, I have a couple of exciting projects and exhibitions planned in the next couple of years which I can’t wait to share with the world. One of those projects, I will be collaborating with Queensland Boulder Opal company, Broken River Mining. I am passionate about boulder and crystal opals, but most importantly B.R.M are a female owned mine in this male dominated industry, who share the same values as me. I respect their mining practices of pushing through escarpments as opposed to underground digging and I love that they also respect the indigenous communities from where these beautiful opals are found. Unfortunately in general, Australia doesn’t value opals like the rest of the world, so we tend to see the best opals coming out of Australia being purchased by the U.S, China and the Middle East. I am beyond excited about this collaboration, because I will be armouring up some of their rarest opals to show the world who we are and what we do in Australia.

What sets your brand apart?

Brands traditionally grow and are expected to keep growing beyond the ‘founder’ experience. I think what sets my brand apart from others, is the fact that I want my brand to be my living legacy as an ‘artist’ where my business will live and die with me. I don’t care to have it live on, because this is my art form and personal story. I do however, hope that my work can inspire the next generation of artists to tell their own story, regardless of the medium they choose to do it in. From jewellery artists and hobbyists, to family owned jewellery brands and corporations, I feel that we all have something different to say and there is plenty of room for all of us to do that.

What does the Australian jewellery market mean to your business?

I don’t tend to look over my shoulder at what others are doing because I fear it will derail me. What I do love though, is the community of artists, makers and suppliers who share the same positive attitude I have. I tend to cut out negative thinkers and those who try to drain me. However, I do believe that we are stronger together, than apart. I tend to attract people in my life, who share the same values as myself, regardless if it is in business or in my personal life. Supporting each other is key to our industry’s survival.

How does it (Australian market) shape your designs or strategies?

I tend to look outside the jewellery industry for inspiration on how to build my business. From bankers and bread makers, to scientists and music DJ’s, I draw inspiration from individuals who are successful in their chosen field. I surround myself with those who bear their soul and are unafraid to share their battle stories. It is also imperative to have passion and find joy in what you do, regardless if you make money or not. My dream is to continue being sustainable as an artist, because it is pure lunacy to think you can get rich from this business. If that is your motivation, than you are doing it for the wrong reason.

Could you share the creative process behind your most iconic or popular piece?

For me, it always starts with the gemstone. The colour and the shape become the seed of each creation. To then nurture the growth of its design, is very much like shaping a bonsai tree. I like to guide where the leaves and branches will grow. Falling in love with each gemstone has been the driving force in this creative movement, where I ultimately design jewellery that I would also wear myself. Jewellery has a magic that carries power, beyond its physical form. Much like how a favourite piece of clothing can make you feel when you wear it, jewellery offer both the beauty of embellishment and empowerment.

What materials and gemstones do you love working with, and why?

Regardless of price and popularity in this jewellery industry, I choose gemstones based on a deep love for what they ignite in my imagination.
Some of my most iconic pieces have been set with a humble quartz or topaz found in dried up creeks in Queensland, which have been expertly faceted into a unique shape. I have also worked with some of the rarest Australian sapphires, which will never be seen in the public again. But regardless, I choose to revolt against this industry when they label gemstones ‘semi-precious’. I feel it dishonours the millions of years it took for each of them to form. Much like a painter chooses colour on a canvas, I choose gemstones and metal the same way. I’m not a purist when working with 9k, 18k gold or even sterling silver. I will often mix metals, because of their subtle colour difference, to elevate the colour of each gemstone.

My ultimate goal is to honour each precious gemstone I fall in love with and the extensive journey they have been on to get to me. As an artist, I tend to put a lot of pressure on myself to get the final design perfect, but like diamonds, I am so much stronger for it.

What role does innovation or technology play in your jewellery creation process?

Because I am not a maker, but understand the process of what goes into making each piece, I find that the most important skill to have is ‘good communication’ with the jewellers I work with. I am learning all the time about how to implement modern technology alongside traditional methods. Understanding its limitations, but also not being afraid to innovate and push the boundaries of what can be done in order to complete a vision, is so important to me. Although this can be challenging at times, it is exhilarating when you achieve greatness in its final form.

Have you noticed any shifts in customer preferences in recent years? How has your brand adapted?

I have noticed that there has been a shift to create more custom made pieces. Sometimes my client no longer wears a piece they previously loved, or they have a family heirloom that they would like to be modernised. However, my perspective as a designer goes deeper than just recreating something aesthetically pleasing. As an artist, I want to learn the stories of my client and interpret their style, into a ‘future classic’ that embellish and empower their every day!

Who or what has been the biggest influence on your career as a jewellery designer/manufacturer?

What inspires me most, is nature. The beauty of plant life is wondrous to me but, just because I have a deep love for flowers and trees, doesn’t mean I want to design jewellery that mimic it’s actual form. I love the energy that flow from nature. Once I fall in love with a gemstone, I nurture the seed of that creation by growing the leaves of its ‘design’. The woman who finally gets to wear it, then becomes the tree from which those leaves had grown.

What advice would you give to aspiring jewellery designers or manufacturers looking to enter the industry?

Don’t be disheartened if doing what you love, doesn’t pay the bills. Get a second or third job if you have have to. As an artist, I believe that being creative is a spiritual practice. As long as what you are doing, gives you joy, stay focused and continue to fight for your dreams. If you can then sustain yourself whilst doing it, then you’re way ahead of most. Just remember to have fun! None of what we do in jewellery is original because they have been created throughout millennia. What makes us original, is how we tell that story through the language of design.

The most important thing as an artist or creative, is to understand your ‘point of difference’ in order to pursue career in this business. Find your tribe and surround yourself with those who inspire and push you in the right direction.

How do you see the Australian jewellery market evolving in the next five years?

Like music, the jewellery industry will continue to be affected by ‘pop culture’ and suffer because unique ideas created in our communities are always being reproduced on a mass scale. Beautiful style and great design will continue to elevate us as humans, if we keep nurturing the unique stories of artists and storytellers.

What role do collaborations or partnerships play in your brand’s strategy?

Collaborations with the right people help propel me as an artist to push the boundaries of my designs, where as cross pollination with strategic partners in business, help to elevate my brand. I have a very clear idea of how I want to collaborate and partner with other businesses in the next few years because the ultimate goal for me is to be a sustainable artist.

Like most relationships, it is imperative to keep communication lines open and continue to learn from ones mistakes.