These Hands | Millie
These Hands belong to our talented Jewellers Assistant, Millie. An adventurer at heart, Millie leaves a trail of positivity and happiness wherever she goes, get to know Millie here.
Who do these hands belong to?
Millie, Jewellers Assistant
What is your role at Natalie Marie Jewellery and how long have you been part of the team?
I started with the team a year ago, just a few months before we moved to our current studio. I am currently studying Jewellery Manufacture Certificate 3 at Tafe, so I am working part time with the team, whilst studying. It is great to be able to put my skills to use whilst also studying! My role is varied, I help out wherever I am needed, mostly on the wholesale team.
Describe a typical day for you?
Each day is so varied for me, I am all over the place! Sometimes I spend my days working on online pieces, but most of the time I am helping on the production of wholesale pieces for our lovely stockists. They are normally big orders so there is quite a few hands working together to get everything made.
My favourite days are the ones where I am lucky enough to work on brand new pieces for the upcoming collections. Once the design team (Natalie and Em) have finished mapping out the new range, I get to help out with making the first samples. It feels super special to be able to have a sneaky peak of the new designs! Each collection is so different and so unique, it is an exciting part of the process.
What is your most treasured piece of jewellery?
My Grandmother gave me a gold signet for my sweet 15th birthday (in Argentina we celebrate womanhood on your 15th birthday). Being a woman is one of the most beautiful gifts of life, being a part of a loving and caring family, I feel so lucky and this ring reminds me of that daily.
What is your favourite Natalie Marie piece?
It would be so much easier to answer which is my least favourite piece as I love so many! Marquise shapes are my favourite, so I love the Prairie Collection. The Willow earrings were the ones I couldn’t stop looking at and the NMJ team made me a pair for my birthday, so now I get to wear them all of the time!
What advice would you give to anyone considering to be a jeweller?
Don’t tell your friends and family that you can make jewellery! You will have lots of old jewellery to repair! But on a serious note, it isn't easy, it is a long journey and each step is so important. However it is a very rewarding career path, the long journey is worth it for the knowledge and skills gained along the way.
What inspires you?
The ocean inspires me a lot, as does nature in general. Patterns, textures, colours, there is so much inspiration everywhere.
Where would we find you on the weekend, how do you unwind?
I am probably surfing with friends! If not… I am camping somewhere, chasing swells or just going for a nice bush walk. I am that strange person who prefers to be surrounded by nature than hundreds people. I love sitting with my board out the back of the ocean with an open sky and the horizon in front. Or waking up in my tent with not many belongings, I am super unprepared when I go camping but I think that is what i like about it.
Beach, City or Mountains?
The beach or the mountains are perfect for me. If it is a tropical beach, with amazing waves, then please leave me there! But I must say I do like the City at night time, when all the lights are on and there is not much traffic. There is such a diversity of cultures, people having fun and relaxing - I do love the buzz of a City.
Favourite holiday destination?
Good question! I think my favourite holiday destination is Brazil. I have been there at least 10 times in my life so far, I am still planning to go back one day, there is so much to see there. You can either go to the jungle and feel like you are in the middle of nowhere or go to the beautiful coastline with a coconut in your hand, surrounded by the best places to go dancing…infinite possibilities.
If you could live anywhere apart from Sydney, where would it be?
I have already asked myself this and that is why I am in Sydney! I couldn’t choose any better place to live!
Describe your perfect day...
Pancakes for breakfast, spending the day at the beach with friends either surfing or having a sun bathe. Then onto an afternoon nap in my hammock in my backyard followed by pancakes again! Maybe getting artistic and doing some drawing or reading a great book.
What is your least known talent...
Back in the time when fire was my element, I used to practice fire twirling.
What are you listening to right now?
I love podcasts, making jewellery and listening to podcasts are my favourite combination! At the moment I am listening to one called “Seven Chakras".
What are you most grateful for?
Absolutely everything! Even the bad things, they are my biggest teachers in life. Although I must say that I am incredibly grateful for my partner. I think I secretly want to marry him, even if I have spent the last 29 of my 30 years saying: I will never marry anyone!
And finally, if you were a dessert, what one would you be?
A super tropical fruit salad, with a variety of different colours and fresh fruits. Simple but fun!
PC: Tealily
