Who do these hands belong to? 

These hands belong to Vinny.

What is your role at Natalie Marie Jewellery and how long have you been on the team? 

I am a Production Jeweller and have been here for a year and a half.

Describe a typical day for you? 

My day starts probably a little bit different to most people, I live on an island so to go anywhere means getting in my boat and jetting across Pittwater to my car and driving. Then I’ll get a coffee and a ham and cheese croissant, religiously, no excuses! I get into work and say hello to my amazing work mates, catch up with the gang and have my work allocated for the day. Then I get started on online orders, polishing for the day and crack on with every thing else. Sometimes I’ll head down to the beach and eat my lunch if the weather is nice enough. Mid-afternoon we do a group 'Wordle' and race to see who ever get the word first! After work I’ll try catch up with friends, go into the city or go to band practice to get ready for gigs coming up. Then try find time to sleep. The end. 

What was your original inspiration to begin your journey of becoming a jeweller? 

My original inspiration for becoming a jeweller stemmed from high school where there was a metal working course. I flew through all the tasks and found it really fun and later on continued creating jewellery in year 12 and loved the creative nature of the work.

Where would we find you on the weekend, and what would you be doing?

On the weekend you will literally find me anywhere. I could be camping, in the city, at the local pub, in the water or at home. 

If you could start a new hobby, what would it be?

My new hobby would be sewing. I’d love to make my own clothes because there are so many amazing quality materials out there, and I just think its nice to source the things you want, and bring them to life yourself. That way you can make it completely your own, something different and not off the shelf like everyone else.

If you could meet anyone, dead or alive, who would it be and why?

I would love to meet my great great grandfather who was a jeweller in Bathurst. If I could go back in time I would get him to put his tools in a time capsule that I could go find later in life and work with today!

What movie can you watch over and over again?

Pirates of the Caribbean.

Can you tell us about working with our design team to bring our latest collection, Anam Cara, to life, and the process of creating the perfect knot?

It was such a pleasure working with the design team on the Anam Cara collection as it is a fun concept to adapt into a metal form. We toyed with wires of different thicknesses for the knots coupled alongside different chain thicknesses until we found the combinations that had the best proportions to the eye. I was slightly concerned with how the metal was marked by pliers in forming the knot bangle and rings because of the difficulty in forming the thicker metal. However with a bit of testing different techniques we got it to a point where we could achieve a smooth polished surface and a beautiful final product.

Overall I am very pleased with the outcome of the collection and really enjoyed the constructive process with the design team allowing us to bring to life such a fun collection!

What are you are proud of? 

I’m proud of my development as a jeweller within the last few years, I’ve been given the opportunity to work on a wide range of pieces here at NMJ which has helped me develop my craft. I’ve also taken on more personal jewellery projects, which has been fulfilling. I’m also super proud of my beautiful minty – my dream car I purchased recently, a 1974 Land Cruiser in the most beautiful shade of mint.

What advice would you give to anyone considering becoming a jeweller?

I hope you like having dirty hands. Haha but seriously, I would encourage anyone to gain understanding through research and sourcing basic tools to get the hang of things. Start with a weekend course to see if you like it, and then head to Tafe as best way to fully immerse yourself. It’s not a quick process, you don’t become a jeweller overnight – patience, research, commitment and passion are non-negotiables.

Can you tell us about the most challenging yet rewarding parts of making jewellery? 

The most challenging yet rewarding part of making jewellery is when there is a complex design that you really need to struggle to complete, finishing it and having it perfect. It can be a challenge to accept that there is a process to figure out each time, and that takes time.

Favourite gemstone and why?

I looooove emeralds! They are such a beautiful stone with an intense green like no other gem. One of the first pieces I was commissioned to do was a gold ring with a round cut emerald, maybe that is why it’s my favourite.

What is your favourite Natalie Marie piece to make?

I love to make the Naum Stacking Ring! The process of reticulation is one of my favourites as it changes the form of the metal and each and every piece is different. It’s rewarding when you spend time on something to make it a certain way and it comes out perfectly.