These Hands | Vinny
These hands belong to one of our talented jewellers, Vinny. Known for his electric energy and positive approach to life, Vinny always has us all laughing in the studio. Being a creative individual, after work you can find Vinny at band practice, working on his own personal projects or driving around in his mint green 1974 Land Cruiser.
As your reading this, he could be making your next precious piece. Get to know Vinny below...
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. 
You just went overseas, a novel concept after years of not travelling across the seas! Tell us more!
Travelling overseas to Europe was a beautiful experience after being stuck in the country for so long. We travelled to Geneva, south west of France, down to Provence, into Venice and off to Paris. Venice was my favourite place out of everywhere, there’s so much amazing history there and beautiful boats.
We also went to a nightclub in Paris that was built in an old railroad station, and we saw a break-beat jazz band. It was a fusion of live performance and DJ set and was like nothing I’d ever seen before. As a lover of music, it was such a fun night. Also loved hiring electric scooters around Paris, scootering around the Louvre at midnight - epic. Wish we had this in Sydney!
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 and 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.
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.
What are you most grateful for?
I’m am most grateful for all the amazing opportunities I have been given in life. Being born into a beautiful family, in such an amazing part of the world, surrounded by nature and the water. Being in a career I enjoy and being able to follow through and succeed in it – feeling pretty lucky!
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.
