Madeline was always attracted to art. First it was painting. After high school she looked for a career; something that would hold her interest. She approached a few jewellers and was taken on as an apprentice.

I never understood what it would take to make a piece of jewellery.

As an apprentice, she was one of only seven: first year, second year, everyone.

Making jewellery is not as glamorous as people might think. You’re dealing with fire and smoke. Things get spilt and burnt and dirty. And it’s so easy to burn yourself – as Madeline attests.

To make jewellery means that, literally. Metal is melted into a mould and formed into the shape it needs to be. The formed piece is worked. Thus the jeweller’s tools: files, awls, hammers, square, saws, micrometer, calipers, scales, vice, grips, mandrels, torch, crucibles, moulds, tongs, press, magnifiers, pliers, tweezers, forceps, grabbers – each one to hand, just so.

Setting is technical, whether it is a pearl or a stone such as an emerald or a diamond. At the point where it is placed in the setting – it has to be just right.

Her shop is also her workplace. Customers can see where their pieces are made. Covid forced her hand to go out on her own because work was drying up in other people’s stores.

There are rewards. To make wedding rings for a couple and know that they’ll wear them for the rest of their lives.

And highlights.

You know, such hard work, you see the product at the end. Yeah. And then the customer opens a box and sees what’s inside. I look at them, not what’s in the box because I want to know what they’re feeling. I just love that.

Clients can start with a display ring or have one designed from scratch. Start with the diamond. They may have pictures of other rings that they like. Madeline gets an idea of their style and uses that as inspiration. She does sketches rather than detailed drawings.

I don’t want to get too expensive and people feel like they can’t come in here. I don’t want people to feel intimidated. 

Madeline takes care with the materials she uses. They must be ethically sourced, and those whose work brings them to light be justly recompensed. The principle of fair trade is very important to her.

Of course, there is the ordering, the bookkeeping and the like. Sometimes it’s just a bother. But it has to be done. There is also routine work like the repairs people need done on jewellery that is precious to them.

Then you look at a beautiful diamond ring you made sitting in its own custom-made case. Happy days.