Behind the Scenes: The Jewellery Collection

“What is it?”

“It’s a hair vine. Brides wear them as an accessory in their hair.”

“Oh. It would make a beautiful necklace.”

“It can be worn as a necklace”

“In which case, if you can do that, I’d order one for my wife.”

Jewellery has come up a couple of times in the past. Friends had suggested it, brides had asked questions about it but it wasn’t something I’d considered.

In my mind, jewellery was a certain style and I wasn’t ready to attempt it because I already had enough on my plate with a mix of products.

But that was then and this is now; my products have changed since the early days and now I’m finally seeing what a handful of other people saw. It’s challenged my idea of jewellery and encouraged me to try something new and different, essentially transforming my hair vines into something more wearable and less occasion-specific.

I wanted to share some of the early ideas with you, my lovely readers, and bring you along with me on the journey, to give you an idea of what this collection is going to look like, how it’s being made and where the inspiration has come from.

The Idea

My first thought was to create a collection of necklaces inspired by details from my hair vines but, as I’ve progressed, I’ve decided to design sets of earrings to match.

There are five different designs and at least two of those will have colour variations, giving you more variety (plus I love looking at all the different options when I’m shopping online and thought you might too!).

I spent an evening on Pinterest looking for pictures that inspired me and ended up with a board full of pastel colours, floral details and impressionist paintings. Ideas in hand, I set to work.

Side note: If you click on the Pinterest button on my site you can see my inspiration board for yourself!

The Design Challenges

So, having created many hair vines in the past, you’d think it would be easy to translate that into a necklace wouldn’t you?

Yes, me too but alas, it wasn’t. My hair vines can be worn as necklaces or belts by adding ribbon to the loops on the ends but working with clasps was a completely different story, as was knowing how all the details would sit when worn.

The solution? A hand twisted circlet that serves as a base for each design. I’ve then built my designs on these circlets and they sit at the base of the neck. Each one is 16 inches long but as they will be made to order, can be made larger to sit where you need it to.

Each one is finished with a silver filigree clasp to compliment the dainty and delicate details on the necklaces .

How they feel

I wanted to create something that women love to look at, wear and treasure. Something a little different that makes them feel amazing and elegant when they wear it, whether it’s for a special occasion or just because they feel like it. Each piece is lightweight, has a little flexibility in it and is comfortable to wear.

Each design has been and will be crafted from silver plated jewellery wire, the same as my hair vines. The wire is easy to work with and has been dipped in a non-tarnish coating, which will keep your necklace looking beautiful for longer. Each one features Swarovski crystals and pearls in various colours; imagine opal tones, soft pinks, dark purples and pale blues and greens. Think cherry blossoms, Monet’s Water Lillies and Parisian parks and you’ve got an idea of where this is heading.

Feel free to share your thoughts below or share this post with someone who you think would like to read it. Don’t forget to check back soon or subscribe to see the collection coming together!