Water is often described as a source of inspiration in jewellery, typically referencing colour or the underwater world — oceanic ecosystems, natural forms, and ecological motifs. But for me, water is not just a visual reference or a symbolic one. It is something far more physical, emotional, and deeply human.
Water Beyond Aesthetic Inspiration
My work is rooted in the ways we interact with water: how we move through it, how it supports us, resists us, and shapes our behaviour.
The Dual Nature of Water
The open water holds a duality that I return to again and again — it is both a source of abundance and a site of risk, something essential for life and something that can just as easily overwhelm it. Whether it’s the pull of the tide, the fragility of natural ice, or the tension held in a single droplet, water is never passive. It is something we experience with the body, and something we must constantly negotiate with.
Jewellery as Movement and Experience
This perspective shifts how I approach jewellery.
Rather than designing static objects, I think about movement, balance, and interaction. A piece of jewellery does not exist in isolation — it exists on the body, in motion, in relation to the wearer. In this way, I see jewellery as something closer to an event than an object. It unfolds through wearing.
Translating water into gold and stone
Translating this into material form presents a challenge. Water is fluid, constantly changing, impossible to hold. Jewellery, by contrast, is solid, fixed, and precise. My process sits in the tension between these two states.
Working in silver, gold and stone, I explore how to suggest fluidity within structure. Highly polished surfaces can reflect light in ways that feel almost liquid. Rounded forms can evoke softness and movement, even within rigid materials. Repetition and balance can mirror natural rhythms — like waves or droplets — without directly imitating them.
But just as important as the materials is the act of making.
As a studio jeweller, every piece is shaped by hand. This allows for a level of sensitivity and responsiveness that mirrors, in some way, the qualities I’m trying to capture. Small decisions — a curve, a surface, a weight — accumulate into something that feels considered rather than imposed.
Weight, Presence, and the Talisman
There is also a human dimension to water that continues to draw me in. It is tied to leisure, to memory, to moments of freedom and reflection. Swimming, sailing, diving — these are not just activities, but experiences that stay with us physically. They shape how we feel in our bodies.
I want my work to hold some of that.
Not in a literal sense, but in a way that resonates when worn. My pieces are often intentionally weighty — present on the body in a way that is noticeable rather than fleeting. That physical presence can feel grounding, even comforting, allowing the jewellery to take on a more talismanic quality. For example, my Snowscape pendant catches the light unexpectedly as it shifts slightly with movement, but it also holds its place. These interactions create a quiet dialogue between the object and the wearer — one that is both dynamic and steady.
Contemporary Jewellery: Concept and Wearability
In contemporary jewellery, there is often a tension between concept and wearability. My aim is not to choose between them, but to bring them together. The conceptual framework — human interaction with water — is not something separate from the piece. It is embedded within: how it is made, how it moves, and how it is experienced.
Ultimately, my work is not about representing water. It is about translating the experience of it into something that can be held, worn, and lived with.