In the Studio with Julia Storey
Can you tell us about the process behind making your Shared Terrain pieces?
Generally, I need to be quite planned out and make sure I have all the pieces of gold ready to go in different alloys and colours before I even start making the piece. For the rings, I have to make sure everything locks together, filing each tiny piece of gold before fitting them together. It’s a slow process with a lot of planning, but once I get into the groove, I’ll put on a good podcast (or several, because it takes time!) and then I then work through the different layers—it’s almost like Tetris, puzzling the pieces together [to make the Shared Terrain wedding rings and engagement rings]. Initially, I start with solid bands featuring different tones of gold, as it’s important to know the what tones I’m using so they complement each other. Sometimes different colours show up, and I have to remember which golds are next to each other to make sure they stand out, especially when working with shades like 9ct, 14ct, or 18ct yellow gold, which can blend together too much. As I add gemstones, I begin to consider the setting and how it works tonally with the golds, ensuring each gem stands out.
What influences the design first—the shape of the ring or the stone?
Before starting the ring, I have the design ruminating in my mind and I sketch quick ideas around my studio. I’ll have small ideas ready – sometimes I might be working purely with the gold, other times the stones. Occasionally, it means finding a specific stone, like for the Linear designs where I needed the right proportion of baguette diamonds or peach sapphires. I’ve got a big collection of blue and teal sapphires, so I often use what I have to create pieces like the Flourishing Terrain rings and pendants. I love the teals and blues, and I think that’s where Australian sapphires are really special. Their tones can range from deep inky colours to vivid, bright teals. I’m so happy they’re having their moment in the sun.
In the past you have spoken about Australian landscapes and their influence on your design process; do you tend to revisit this inspiration or has your imagination recently been captured by something else?
I love how my Terrain designs piece together the landscape—like looking down from a plane at patches of farmland. Combining ocean tones (through the gemstones) with the land (the different tones of metals) gives it an Australian essence, as many of us live by the coast so it’s about mixing those two worlds. Now, I’m focusing on evolving my process. Through lots of practice, I’ve learned how to understand and work with these metals, and now I’m expanding how I design. That’s where the Aligned Terrain collection and process came from – it’s less about blending and more about cutting and aligning the individual tones of gold in straight lines.
There is such poetry within the making process of your patchwork pieces. The combination of different gold alloys results in such a striking effect. How did this unfold to become your practice and why did you follow this direction?
It began with figuring out how to work with precious metals and looking for new textures within them. I wanted to see how combining different golds could create unique patterns, so it was about trying to find a way to align these pieces to make something new. From a distance, you might see a golden-toned ring, but up close, you notice all the different colours of the metals and how they catch the light. My own wedding ring is one of the Terrain pieces. You get used to wearing it every day, but when you take a moment to look at it closely and in more depth, you can see all of the different pieces there which makes you appreciate all the work that went into it.
How do you approach making a new collection?
I take little steps with each piece. The Aligned Terrain pieces from last year are still evolving. I start with one or two pieces to see how I like them and how they fit on the hand, then build a collection from there. I’ve been drawing some finer styles for a while, and I need to get them to a point where I can visualise them enough to turn them into jewellery. There are more pieces coming!
Can you tell us about any pieces you’ve found particularly hard to let go of?
There are a few! Sometimes, I redesign a client’s old piece, like a 15-year-old solitaire engagement ring, into something that fits their personality now. One piece that holds a lot of meaning is a pendant I made for my mum using a spessartite garnet she’d collected in her early 20s. My family commissioned me to make it during a time when she was facing health challenges. It’s made in 18ct rose and white gold with hand engraving, and she wears it all the time – it hasn’t dated, and she still loves it, as do I. It holds a lot of personal meaning for both of us.
Another memorable piece is a Lustrous Terrain ring I made for e.g.etal, featuring a big, bold South Sea Keshi pearl. I love my gemstones, but pearls, especially Keshi pearls, are really special to me. I love how they have the layers upon layers which gives you something really individual. The patchwork of the metals, the glittering diamonds and the undulating surface of the pearl gave the ring its own personality and depth. From a distance you might think it’s just a pearl on a band, but close up you can see all of the detail. It was so hard not to keep that ring for myself!
What do you want your jewellery to mean to the people who wear it?
I love when people wear my jewellery and really live with it. Years ago, a friend’s mum told me she keeps her jewellery in a safe, which, while practical, made me sad that it doesn’t see the light of day! I make my pieces to be worn. Whether it’s part of a larger collection or just one special item, I want people to see the work and thought that went into it. Then, the wearer can attribute their own personal meaning to the piece – whether it’s for marriage, a gift, or something they bought for themselves. I like the result of building a bridge between the artist’s intent and the client’s. They might have their own entirely different meaning to what I had, but it’s creating something new in that way. Some clients have shared the stories behind their purchases which have brought me to tears, as it’s beautiful to hear their own personal meaning they’ve attached to something I created.
Click here to view Julia Storey’s current collection.
