Here at EC One we love to showcase independent jewellery designers. The unique handmade jewellery by Michelle Tuck is featured this month because we love her pendants and bracelets that ooze individuality and creativity.
Each of her stunning pendants has a personalised element that make them a perfect gift choice. Choose from delicately crafted tokens adorned with both motifs and words that can be customised to suit the wearer.
Inspired by the enchanting qualities of the natural world and her time spent travelling, Michelle’s jewellery has a wonderful ‘found’ feel. Add pretty cabochon gemstones to the mix and her jewellery takes on an ethereal look that can be worn every day. Whether you choose a combination of charms to signify adventure, exploration and wanderlust or simply love and happiness, the sentiment and attention to detail in each piece will be a welcomed gift or a perfect treat.
We have taken a moment to speak to Michelle about the jewellery she has created and to explore the inspiration and ideas behind her work.
What inspires you?
As society increasingly views objects as disposable, and we discard our possessions from one season to the next, I wanted to create something with meaning. Something that has emotional and spiritual content. I wanted to create not just beautiful ephemeral objects, but lasting treasures that connect us with ourselves and each other, tools to communicate our feelings and celebrate our successes, our loves and even commemorate and remember our loses.
I wanted to offer something that both looks like it has history, in terms of it’s aesthetic, and something that with time and the memories attached develops a meaningful personal history for both the wearer and possibly future generations. It would be my dearest wish for my pieces to develop a sentimental value that far eclipses its material value.
What are your influences?
I love objects where you can see the hand of the maker. Objects with depth and soul. I find high polish, super-modern, glossy things to be lifeless. As with humans, it’s the little imperfections that make us beautiful. My current collection of talismans and lucky charms, my ‘Amulets and Artefacts’ collection, is inspired by ancient coins, both their soft worn details and marks left over time, as well as the uneven edges created by millennia old minting processes.
Which gemstones do you covet?
My love of gemstones echo’s my appreciation of the imperfect. I love stones that have inclusions. I find a perfectly clear flawless stone looks unreal. The bigger the stone the more I enjoy the inclusions. Some of my favourite stones are tourmalines, and I really love a rustic rosecut diamond. But two stones I repeatedly choose for myself are moonstone and labradorite, I just love their mystical quality, their iridescence and the way they glow from within.
