Not in jewellery, but in dressmaking, when I began to make my own clothes. My Mum had always taught me to be an individual, and this was not possible when buying clothes from department stores. This early start in creativity was to stand me in good stead for my later years when I married and had four children of my own. Later still, now a grandmother of 2 boys, I have still retained the passion fo
r creating, but it now involves the designing and making of unique one-of-a-kind jewellery pieces. I find it very relaxing to sit with a few strands of either rolled gold , or sterling silver wire, and a wonderful array of stones including gemstones (either real or lab created), semi-precious gems, crystals, or even glass and create what is termed in this industry as a beautiful piece of "wearable art". Stones themselves have a mind of their own, and in the past when I have tried to make something which a particular one did not want to become a part of, I have been taken to task. This has sometimes been a costly exercise as there is no flow in the project and all that can go wrong does. On one occasion, when I first started making jewellery about 10 years ago, I remember restarting a project about 3 times, because it just wasn't working out. The stone with which I was working would keep jumping out of the frame I was trying to incorporate into the design. It was a commissioned job, and the customer had asked that the stone be a particular way up. Though, no way was the stone going to let me do it that way! Here is a photo of the finished item it was proud to become. I have since learned to "LISTEN" to each individual stone and "work with each one as an individual" to create something of which it (the stone) is proud to be a part. We do not choose a stone without it first choosing us. So if you are drawn to a particular stone, it is probably trying to tell you that you need some of its qualities. If you are drawn to a Rose Quartz for instance, it probably means that at this particular time you need its qualities which are transferred to you when worn close to your skin. Rose Quartz encourages self-love, ability to love others and a strong heart. It helps you become more heart-centred and trusting of your love and is good to use during any transition process.
