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From
a young age she has been a collector of all sorts of weird and
wonderful objects that interest and inspire such as antique bottles,
rocks, minerals, fossils, shells and even bones.
Lauren
left school and started a jewellery apprenticeship at 17 and over
those years was fortunate to have been trained by two very talented
jewellers, one having been the president of the Australian Jewellers
Guild at the time, the other a member of the JAA, the Jewellers
Association of Australia. They taught her the skills of making
fine jewellery by hand using age-old techniques combined with
traditional and modern tools and equipment. They enabled Lauren
to create strong durable jewellery that is also different, practical
and very comfortable to wear.
In
2001 Lauren began to fulfil her dream of running her own jewellery
business to explore her own style and continue to study ancient
and modern techniques.
Lauren likes to think of her work becoming antiques and family
heirlooms that will stand the test of time.
Having
lived by the sea for most of her life, and currently just five
minutes from the ocean beach on the Mornington Peninsula, the
ocean is definitely one of Lauren's biggest inspirations which
comes through in the designs, colours and materials used in her
work.
Lauren uses various colours, materials and gemstones, and particulary
favours precious metals, gems in the colours of the sea, local
abalone shell, New Zealand paua shell and especially New Zealand’s
exquisite Blue Pearl.
The
time it takes to procuce each piece varies. There are many different
factors involved in the creation of each piece from hunting for
the right stone and stone availability, to ordering materials
and so on. Lauren appreciates the artistic freedom of being able
to take the time each piece needs in its creation to achieve her
highest level of quality.
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