I’ve been making a lots of Mother and Child rings lately. Each one is a handcrafted little piece of Art. The back features a pattern or portrait - mainly Frida Kahlo as I have etchings left over from my cuff project. The Bands are hammered to give an organic feel to compliment the stones. The band is sparkly, a bit retro Fifties in vibe.

But the real star of the show is the gemstone. They are set in a plain silver bezel which highlights the complex patterns within the stone. Each one is completely unique using gems sourced from round the world.

Some stones have naturally occurring inclusions or faults. An inclusion is any material that is trapped inside of another mineral while it forms. These materials include Crystals, liquids and gasses and in the case of Amber, once-living creatures!

Some people think this makes them less perfect but I love them. They tell a story. The patterns to a trained eye, show you where it’s from, which minerals are involved in the makeup. The bright shades of blue and green in Crysocolla are caused by its copper content. The gold flecks found in the dark blue Lapis Lazuli are traces of Pyrite or ‘Fools Gold’. I could go on all day…..

I’d rather have a stone with perceived faults than a perfect mass produced Cubic Zirconia. A bit like people…I prefer the quirky ones. The ones that make you smile.