One bench, one pair of hands, on the west coast of Vancouver Island.

I started Opalus to make beautiful, hand-crafted silver work — clean, considered, and finished properly. Simple pieces rather than flashy ones. Forging, fabrication and stone setting all happen here; a casting setup joins them this summer, which will open up a run of new forms.

The stones come first. Opal, dendritic agate, abalone, fire opal, emerald — I buy what I want to look at, then find the form that suits it. Because no two are the same, no two pieces are either.

The raw beauty here is unavoidable and it does shape the work — in texture, in restraint, in what I leave alone. But this is a jewellery studio, not a souvenir shop. What should hold your attention is the metal and the stone.

Beyond rings and necklaces I make tiaras and body adornment, including full silversmithed costume pieces. If you want something that is not conventional jewellery, that is usually the most interesting conversation to have.