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As you might have noticed reflected in my designs, I love intricate jewellery, the kind which tells a story on many different levels. It may therefore come as a surprise that the piece which I wear the most and is most precious to me is a small, simple Star of David pendant which I have owned since I was 12 years old. It isn’t the aesthetic value or the monetary value of this pendant which makes it priceless to me, but the story behind it, the woman who wore it before me and gave it to me a short time before she succumbed to cancer, my Nana. My Nana was one of the greatest loves of my life. She gave me unconditional love, taught me how to sew, made the best chicken soup in the world and was a major role model for me. Forced to flee Germany on the eve of WW2, the last time that she saw her own mother was at the age of 22 on a train platform in Berlin. Her two older brothers had been deported from Germany to Poland a year earlier, she never saw any of them again. The small gold star that I wear every day was a gift from my great Grandmother to my grandmother who wore it every day. This small piece of gold which weighs no more than 2 grams carries the weight of her legacy and the memory of her life. I feel her spirit with me, guiding and encouraging me, a guardian angel. I carry a physical reminder of who I am and where I came from. It gives me strength because I know that I carry the legacy of two extraordinary women both of whom I admire so much. It reminds me that life is short. It reminds me to love my daughter as my Great Grandmother loved my Nana. To be able to release her and let her live no matter how hard it is to let go. It reminds me to treasure and respect my mother because who knows for how long I will have her around. Most of all my pendant reminds me that I was loved by a wonderful grandmother who didn’t want to leave me. I refused to take it when she gave it to me. She knew that she was dying and with my childish optimism I refused to believe that she would ever go. We always had a special connection. Not a day goes by when I don’t think of her. Since then, many other events and situations have changed my life. I have added other pendants with significance to the chain around my neck. It always amazes me how a small piece of metal can harness such energy and hold such significance. What does your favourite piece of Jewellery mean to you?

The dissolution of what had once been a loving relationship is never easy. Both parties tend to be in pain for whatever reason, the emotions are running high and are complicated. This process can be drawn out for years and it can be one of the hardest times of your life, especially where there are child custody issues to resolve. A certain degree of bravery is required to make the decision to divorce. The future is uncertain and it's impossible to know how things will turn out. It's an emotional rollercoaster. One of my best friends had her divorce finalised last month. I have seen what she went through in the last couple of years to get out of an abusive marriage. I have seen her suffering in more ways than I could imagine, crumbling under the weight of the process. I have also witnessed her blossoming as she started to unfurl her wings and become accustomed to the freedom that she claimed for herself. She is astoundingly strong and I am constantly in awe of her. I was with her on the day that she received her divorce and shared in the joy that she felt that it was finally over. She was free. It was as if she could breathe again for the first time. In our society we celebrate "happy" events. Weddings, Births, Bar Mitzvas are all rites of passage to which we give significance through parties and gifts. I often design Jewellery for people celebrating these occasions. I love being a part of their happiness and make those pieces with love and the wish that the recipients enjoy them in happiness. My experience with my friend has led me to believe that divorce should also be celebrated. It is one of the most difficult rites of passage. It requires bravery and hard work. If not celebrated, then at least commemorated. I invite divorced women to a special, empowering workshop in my studio. We will take your wedding and or engagement rings and melt them down into a new piece of jewellery designed by you. You will take an active part in dissolving this symbol of marriage and forging it into something new, a symbol of who you have become, a reminder of your strength and resilience. Something tangible that you can look at and touch when you need a little more strength to get through something challenging. Those of you who live too far to visit my studio physically I invite to type "divorce jewellery" into the search feature on my site and you will find an empowering collection inspired by this life changing event. You can also contact me for a personal design consultation. You can send me your rings and we will design a new piece during a video call which I will fabricate for you and ship to your home. I will document the process through photographs and videos so that even though you are far away, you will be able to experience the metamorphosis. Click here for more details about the workshop, or send me a message regarding a design consultation. I am here for you, holding space, wishing you strength and love.

Growing up my parents lived on a tight budget. They provided us with everything we needed and more, but there were few luxuries such as restaurants, holidays and Jewellery. As a teen I found that my pocket money didn’t cover most of what I wanted and thankfully, because I was born creative, I started to try to make what I couldn’t buy. My first memory of making a beaded necklace was at the age of 4 or 5 at my grandmother's house. She gave me a box of brightly coloured plastic beads and a gold cotton string which she doubled through a needle and tied a bead onto the end. I still have those beads on that string. From the beginning of time humans have felt the need to beautify themselves with colourful and sparkly materials. There are many ceremonies and traditions in nearly every culture which involve an exchange or endowment of jewellery. We imbue these items with sentimental and cultural significance far beyond their aesthetic value. Nowadays with so much choice on the market and such a huge range of styles and prices there is hardly anyone who does not own an item of jewellery. We use jewellery as an accessory to change our appearance, much as we change our clothes. It can be used as a status symbol. There are those of us who derive energy from particular gemstones. There are those who will wear a piece for sentimental reasons, and when they buy something new are looking for something classic that can be cherished by loved ones when they have passed. The materials used for making jewellery are typically rare and hardwearing. They are metals such as gold alloys or sterling silver which although relatively soft (compared to steel for example) they are less reactive chemically which means that they don’t disintegrate with time. Many examples of jewellery hundreds of years old have been found in tombs around the world, most of them still in near perfect condition. Gemstones are chosen and graded according to hardness and clarity, with the diamond, the hardest material known to man. The reason I make jewellery is because I want to leave the world a happier, more beautiful place when I leave it. I believe that this is my purpose in life and the reason that I was given the talents I possess. The jewellery I make, makes people happy, has significance for them. It is personalised. I pay attention to every detail, back and front, inside and out to make sure that any piece made by me is comfortable and suitable for everyday wear. I source my materials ethically, working with suppliers who hold the same values as me. I treat my customers as I treat my friends, with compassion and empathy and I truly care that they love the jewellery that they have bought from me. What is your favourite piece of jewellery and what does it mean to you?