Probably the most fulfilling element of my work as a jewellery artist is in creating custom pieces that memorialize important moments for people. Wedding and engagement jewellery usually come to mind when we think of pieces that immortalize moments, but there are so many more ways to use jewellery to mark significant events like anniversaries, births, important life moments, end even the loss of a loved one, and there are so many more forms of jewellery than just rings.

Each piece can tell a story about the wearer, the giver, if there is one, their values, and the things that are important to them. Below are a few of my projects that have been especially meaningful, symbolizing love, loss and individual values in a kaleidoscope of varying forms and motifs.

This pendant was created as a 20th wedding anniversary gift. I made it from sterling silver and the border and gemstone bezels are made from gold. The stones are 3 created emeralds meant to evoke the green of a leaves of a tree. This piece was made to signify the strength of their 20 year relationship, but to also bring to mind her connection with nature and pagan spirituality. Both of the members of this couple are brilliant nature photographers so it was especially significant to have the symbol be a tree.

I just completed these wedding pendants for a couple who are already married but are looking forward to celebrating their relationship with family and friends this summer. Neither of them is really a ring wearer, so they decided that these pendants would be the right way to commemorate their love. Their favourite flowers are, forget me not, and lily of the valley respectively, and they shared that on their first ever date, they walked past both of the flowers, growing together beside the path. I put both flowers, entwined in their pendants and we added their respective birthstones. Each of them will be wearing her partners birthstone in her necklace. Sapphire and Alexandrite for September and June.

Signet rings have long been used to express the heraldry of the wearer. Few things are as meaningful to a person as their heraldry, which often depicts things that symbolize their connection to their family, where they live, or what sort of work they do. This piece was based on the clients heraldry of a sword, a lily and flames. He is a military veteran who practices historical sword arts, and is a fervent believer in turning trauma and pain into something valuable and giving back to his community. I was honoured to be able to make this signet ring for him to wear every day, signifying his values and where he comes from.

This one is a bit of a sad story. Last winter, my beloved cat of 13 years passed away. I was heartbroken and still miss her terribly. Over the years I had kept her whiskers as they fell off and I had a collection saved up for when the inevitable moment came. She was a black kitty and she loved to sit in our backyard and survey the squirrels. So I thought it was appropriate to set an onyx with a leaf motif in gold since she had golden eyes. Underneath the stone I set one of her whiskers coiled up so a little part of her is with me whenever I wear the ring. It is very precious to me, and helps me keep her memory near. It evokes the tradition of memento mori hair jewellery that was common in the 19th century. A very tangible way to keep our loved ones close.

To end on a happier note, this was a special pendant a dear friend commissioned as a gift for his uncle. His name in Hebrew signifies love, and peace, and my friend wanted to make the pendant about his uncles identity and his warm and loving personality. He chose a heart for love and a dove for peace. The family last name also has a reference to books in it, so it made sense to set the figures in a book. This was a fun piece to make as a familial token that will travel with it’s new owner and remind him of how loved he is by his nephew wherever he goes.

I hope you enjoyed these little jewellery stories, its a special and fulfilling way to connect with people and I am honoured that I get to do it. I’ll leave you with a few more notable custom pieces that I made recently.