There's something very bittersweet about making one-of-a-kind pieces: although it's thrilling to know that only one person will own such jewellery, when they're sold I know I'll never see them again. I feel a pang of longing sometimes, but that's quickly followed by the pride of having made something so beautiful.
This will probably be the case for the Preciosa earrings. They might look basic, like something you could find in any shop, but a detail makes them unique: I was given these gems by a friend of my grandmother's, who knew about my fascination with coloured gemstones. They are very high-quality topaz gems with a step-cut, which is common for emeralds but rarely used on other gems. It's this cut that creates the rectangular facets on the crown of the gem, giving it such a distinctive sparkle.
I made these beauties with the American saying for brides to have luck in their marriages in mind: “something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue”.
I'm all for wedding jewellery that can be worn after the party, at other events, thus extending its life.