MY ETHICS & MATERIALS

I make bespoke fine jewellery by hand in Melbourne, using ethically sourced gems, natural and lab-grown diamonds, and recycled gold. Every piece is made to order in my studio, by hand, from start to finish.

What Makes My Jewellery Ethical?

For me, it starts with the design itself. Every technique I use, the way I manipulate metal, the settings I choose, the textures and engravings that have become signatures of my work, has grown slowly at the bench, out of years of experimenting and testing. Ideas begin outside: in a garden, in the curl of a petal, in the texture of weathered stone, then get worked and reworked in wax and metal until they feel true. That process, slow, hands-on and led by nature rather than a screen, is as much a part of the ethics of my work as where a stone comes from.

From there, ethical jewellery is also about paying attention to every other part of the process: where the metal and stones come from, and who actually makes the piece. For me, that means recycled precious metals, carefully chosen stones, and small-batch, made-to-order production in my own Melbourne studio, not a factory, not outsourced, not mass produced.

Where a Design Begins

Every design starts outside. I look to gardens, wildflowers, the way a petal folds in on itself, weathered footpaths, things that grow a little unevenly rather than perfectly symmetrical. That's where an idea usually comes from.

From there it's sketches, then tests in wax or metal, then more sketches. A design often goes through several attempts before it feels right, before the proportions sit properly on a hand or the texture reads the way I want it to. I'd rather take the extra time to get that right than rush something out because it's on trend this season.

It's a slower, more soulful way to design, and it means every piece carries a bit of that process in it: not just a finish, but a small history of trial, adjustment and care before it ever reaches you.

Recycled Gold & Silver

Every ring, earring and necklace I make starts with recycled gold or sterling silver. Working with recycled metal avoids the environmental impact of new mining while giving an identical result in quality, durability and finish to newly mined metal.

Gemstone Sourcing, Honestly

Gemstone sourcing isn't one-size-fits-all, and I'd rather explain the real picture than make one blanket claim that doesn't hold up stone to stone.

Australian sapphires are the most traceable stones I work with: mined and cut locally, with a short, clear supply chain from ground to setting.

For most other coloured gemstones, I buy from reputable Australian gem merchants who visit the mines and cutting houses themselves, so I know and trust who I'm buying from, even where full documentation back to an individual stone isn't always available.

If provenance matters to you for a particular piece, such as an engagement ring, let me know. I can source that stone specifically to meet what you're looking for. Formal gemstone certification can also be arranged on request, just ask when we're discussing your piece.

A Family Story: My Grandfather's Opals

Some of the opals I use have a story that goes back further than a supplier relationship. My grandfather gave me around twelve opals that he fossicked and faceted himself. Each year, I choose one and make it into a single, one-off piece. I've never sold any of these original stones, or a piece made directly from one.

That yearly piece often becomes the starting point for a limited edition design in my collection. For those, I use separately sourced Australian opals from Australian opal mines.

Handmade & Made to Order in Melbourne

When you order a piece from me, it doesn't start on a shelf. It starts at my bench. I cut, shape, solder and set every piece myself, by hand, in my Melbourne studio, thinking of the person who'll eventually wear it.

Made to order means your piece is made for you, not pulled from a box of identical stock somewhere. There's a slower rhythm to it: a few weeks where your ring exists only as an idea and a sketch, then slowly becomes something real in metal and stone, shaped by hand rather than a machine. It also means less waste, and nothing sitting unsold in a warehouse waiting for someone to want it.

It's a small thing to know, but I like that every piece I send out has genuinely passed through my own hands, start to finish, made with the person wearing it in mind.

Quick Facts

• Handmade in Melbourne, Australia, by me alone, not outsourced or mass-manufactured
• Signature material manipulation, setting styles, textures and engravings developed slowly, through years of hands-on experimenting
• Designs are inspired by gardens and nature, developed through sketching and hands-on testing
• Recycled gold and sterling silver used across the collection
• Australian sapphires are locally sourced with the clearest, shortest supply chain
• Other coloured gemstones are bought from reputable Australian gem merchants who visit the mines and cutting houses themselves
• Full provenance can be sourced on request for specific pieces, and formal gemstone certification can be arranged on request too
• Most pieces are made to order, by hand, specifically for the person who'll wear them
• My grandfather gave me around twelve opals, fossicked and faceted by him; I turn one into a one-off piece each year and have never sold an original stone or piece made from one
• Repeatable opal designs inspired by those pieces use separately sourced Australian opals from Australian mines

Have a question about how a specific piece is made, or where a stone came from? Get in touch, I'm happy to talk through it.