I love stones. When I grew up in The Netherlands, there was a stone shop in the old centre, a small overstuffed space, where they sold machines and tools. It wasn’t your usual stone shop that you find nowadays, you know with the cleansing and ethereal feel. Machinery and metal tools hanging on the walls and cluttering the shelves made finding the stone section so very special. Hiding between everything, it always felt like a wonderful secret. My father who also had a love for stones, wanted to buy me one of those small tumbling machines where I could put all sorts of stones inside and they would be polished. Even though I was young, I thought that the technical aspect was super exciting, so my love for stones started early.
My father's wife managed a high-end jewellery shop where I sometimes helped serve coffee as a teenager and little by little my interest in stones and jewellery developed. I went to jewellery fairs with her and we took brochures because, in those days, there was no access to the internet to check out brands! It forced you to interact in real-time and shapes the way you form relationships with people and the makers. With so many wonderful pieces and stories, I quickly developed relationships with local and international jewellers. Everything was so super exclusive and excited me to learn and experience more. Later on, I worked in the diamond trade, working close to diamond sorters, diamond polishers, goldsmiths and watchmakers. The many stories told about stones, jewels, and the makers, watching the watchmakers, sparked interest, curiosity, and great inspiration for me and my future relationship with this world.
Alongside my jewellery journey, there is another love that has never left my side; my History and Architectural studies which developed a huge love for Contemporary Art and all this knowledge and experiences widened my view. Over the years, I kept going to jewellery fairs to learn more about coloured stones and deepen my love for them altogether.
After a while, I wanted to explore other fields, other trades, and different jobs. I gradually started collecting stones again, driven by the journeys I’ve made and being a keen traveller. Sometime later, when I created my first Wearable Art collar, my thought process wasn’t towards creating jewellery because I was an artist but more about creating a statement. I always had something to say, namely that we should take more care of this world, our planet, to stop the ongoing abuse towards children and animals, macho behaviour, and the list goes on...If only people became more aware because there is so much happening every day than what we see on the surface. We as human beings could change the world perhaps, so how was I going to do this wasn’t part of my plan yet. I just wanted to create large wearable and unwearable jewels, to make noise, a stance because I cared and wished for people around me to listen and understand. It’s a difficult task to get people to care or listen but by creating jewels expressing reality, I found a safe house and a way to communicate with others through my Wearable Art language.
Many years later -and I’ve told this story several times- where I started working with my personal stone collection.
Firstly, creating simple things like small stone earrings or necklaces bored me rather quickly because I thought it was too average for my taste. It was the kind of style that anyone could do, a style that you see everywhere nowadays. In fact, I was just practising my skills! Some time onwards, I slowly found my way. My desire to wear larger stones was growing and I rather have them close to my body than kept in a drawer. I envisioned myself creating pieces from stones that I’ve collected and treasured all throughout the years and soon before my eyes, I was creating similar things for friends....and this is my story of creating Conversation Pieces and what I am doing today. Only today, I have perfected the pieces to how I want them to look and create an extensive collection to be truly one-of-a-kind. I’m so happy to be able to work with stones that I have collected over the years, turning them into unique jewels, and that I developed my own techniques with a style that truly fits me.
Sparkling and colourful cut gemstones, like diamonds and high-end quality stones, became interesting to me mainly because of the rarity they possess. There are roughly over 3,000 different minerals and only around 50 are being recognised as gemstones. Every year, new types of gemstones are discovered and there are so many amazing stones too. Most stones are beautifully faceted before they come to the market and they always shine and shimmer..because that’s what most people love!
You know that I love light and that I love black.. and I like so many colours. I’d like to introduce you to some light and dark stone beauties. Let’s be crazy and show you a wide variety that you can either find in my webshop or by getting in touch with me where I can send you more photos and information.
Next to the already introduced rings like Blanche, the white dendrite stone or the light grey moonstone ring, Cleofa. The raw crystal ring named Lov, and Trouve, which carries a raw stone found by me in the Alps, is set very differently and she is smaller. All wonderful light stones and more are coming up.
My very newest additions in black and white are:
Nurit this white stone, is different because she shines some blue rays! This lovely and intersecting iridescent stone, set into a yellow-gold possessions setting, changes colour with your movements.
Esti is a milky white to white moonstone, set into a rose gold possessions setting, she has a beautiful soft vibe.
Dolores is fab! This large possession's setting in rose gold houses a smaller stone, and it’s the combination of the two that makes her so exciting. This dense white and oval cabochon stone makes her so elegant!
Virginy, a bold and raw beauty set in a rose gold embrace setting, is made for this squarish stone, which is slightly sparkly and speckled.
My newest additions in black are:
Cara, a new pure style ring, with a wonderful black stone with a raw surface, is not a stone that comes straight from the mountain, but her interesting surface is manmade. Such quality.
Dakota is feisty and bold. A polished stone in a soft triangle shape, set into a yellow gold embrace setting, stands out on your hand by being a statement piece.
Onyx is set with a black agate with fine white bands in her veins. Her large facets make her beautiful. A cool jewel that isn't that big and her size is quite ideal to wear often.
Choice, is... simply amazing! She is another addition to the Dreamer series with names that are related to her dreams or daydreams.
If you are into black stone rings, I have some in my webshop or in my drawers. Etude, Eugenia, Faela, Huntress, Jieva, Justa, Loulou, Pepper, Ripley, Suki and Cam.
