The Blog — becoming a jeweler

In a world filled with mass-produced goods and fast fashion, I love being able to make jewelry by hand, using traditional tools and techniques. Jewelers like myself usually take the slower route, working step by step, hour by hour, bringing our visions to life. For the most part, we use the tools that have always been used to create sterling silver and gold jewelry, or ones similar to them. Meticulous attention to detail, the personal touch of our hand, and time-honored traditions all go into creating each piece. These are some of the elements that make handmade jewelry a statement of sustainable...

You might not know that I only became a full-time jewelry-maker when I was 51. At 18, I took a course and was seriously bitten by the metalsmithing bug. Then I did an apprenticeship with a local jeweler one summer. Working with metals is so addictive! I got sidetracked into journalism and ended up writing and editing for about 30 years, which worked well when my kids were young. But I'd always hoped to get back to jewelry. I finally took a refresher course when I was 50 and that was that! I started with a tiny studio in a little porch in Toronto. And more courses....