Ever since I was a child I have believed in past lives and reincarnation. I have always been deeply fascinated with the Ancient Egyptians, Moors, Lemurians and Gauls. I believe that each of these civilisations have been calling me from a young age. And since becoming a jewellery designer, their calls have increased in intensity and specificity. It’s as if working with jewellery and gemstones will enable me to bring back the lost fragments of my soul.
Mauresque is a collection that inhabited my dreams long before I ever put pen to paper. It is a collection born from a lifelong fascination with Moorish art and architecture, ignited in childhood when I watched the film ‘El Cid’. This film was about a Christian warlord fighting the Moors in medieval Spain. As a child, it felt so familiar to me. Like a memory. A memory that could only be explained as a past life experience. Many years later, I travelled to the Alhambra Palace in Grenada, where this strong sense of recognition was amplified and I was utterly overcome with emotion.
The beautiful Alhambra Palace in Grenada, Spain.
Twenty-five years later I was finally able to honour my past Moorish life through Mauresque — the name and designs of which came to me in a dream. I felt strongly that this collection should be crafted in yellow gold, to exude beauty, power, warmth and peace. And I knew that the purpose of Mauresque was to encourage authenticity, confidence and visibility. To bring power and confidence to those who needed it.
Recently, I met with a husband and wife who wanted to select one very special piece from this collection. But they found themselves drawn to two. The husband was adamant his wife should receive both pieces. Yet she was reluctant. She felt unworthy — that these pieces were too much, too beautiful, too powerful to wear for someone who was “only a wife and mum”.
They left with both pieces that day. Because these pieces called to her. They were meant for her. To bring her joy and confidence. To complement her natural beauty. To remind her that she is special and worthy. And that she should receive so that she can continue to give to her family.
