Custom jewelry made by hand, right here in Nova Scotia.
I’m Rachel — the designer, goldsmith, and only pair of hands behind every piece that leaves this studio.
A loving practice, not a production line
My pieces are made the old fashioned way — attentively hand fabricated, one by one, with care, patience, and the occasional curse (I do love a challenge).
When I began making custom jewelry in Sydney, Nova Scotia, I committed myself to making beautiful pieces that would delight my customers through all the thoughtful customizations they request. Although my old-school process is far less profitable than commonly-sold cast jewelry created with CAD, it lets me deliver the little details that end up making people fall in love with their piece.
Making it special is my specialty.
From burnout to the bench
I didn’t follow a straight path to becoming a custom jeweller in Nova Scotia. Although I’ve always loved jewelry, art, and design, I ended up in business-to-business marketing. It wasn’t always boring, meaningless, and stressful — but, over time, it became bad enough that I burned out.
Shaping and polishing a PowerPoint presentation, as it turns out, is not nearly as satisfying as forming and buffing a ring. Instead of “hammering out” a tech marketing strategy that gets forgotten about in a year, I started hammering on pieces of gold and silver — tangible pieces that will last decades, and if I’m lucky, generations.
I’m grateful to be pursuing my custom jewelry in Cape Breton, a place that values artistry and craft, and has supported my work through its generous community — including the Cape Breton Centre for Craft and Design, where my work is available for sale and viewing. It’s invigorating, challenging work, and I’m fortunate to have thoughtful customers who push my goldsmithing to the next level.
Jewelry should be understandable
Jewelry is expensive, emotionally significant, and — in most of the industry — deliberately opaque when it comes to how it’s sold. The industry needs to step up and educate buyers, who are asked to make major purchases with almost no reliable information about workmanship, materials, or longevity. Sometimes, the industry encourages people to buy designs and stones that are actually too delicate for their lifestyle. Other times, companies mislead you about how handmade their pieces really are.
So, my job is to make sure you understand exactly what you’re getting, and how that fits the patterns of your life. I’ll be direct about the materials, clear about the process, and honest when something isn’t the right fit for you.
Educating people is one of the most rewarding parts of being a custom jeweller, so don’t hold back on your questions, doubts, and whimsical little requests!
A lot of people are sitting on jewelry they don’t wear. Sometimes it belonged to someone they loved. Sometimes it’s just not their taste. Either way, it lingers in a drawer because you only seem to have bad options: let it linger some more, sell it for melt value, or feel vaguely guilty about both.
Most people don’t know that inherited gold and stones can be redesigned into something new — something made for you, carrying the same material. The old meanings can remain, or evolve, or begin anew. I’ve equipped my studio in Sydney, Nova Scotia, with all the tools for turning your gold and gems into fresh pieces for your current lifestyle that I genuinely hope will become classics you choose to wear every day.
You might not know what you want yet. That’s okay! Many of my most meaningful commissions have started exactly here — from noticing an old piece, lingering in a drawer.
Have an old piece that’s ready for a new life?
Book a free consult and I’ll walk you through what’s possible with the gold and gemstones you already have. No obligation, no pressure toward a design you didn’t ask for.
Book a free consult