Why Diamonds Sparkle
Welcome to Spring … at least as per the equinox: the sun has crossed the celestial equator, and day and night are again approximately equal. Speaking of light: I’ve had the good fortune of having several diamonds on my bench…
Dorothée’s famous Gravlox Recipe – Norwegian-style Cured Salmon
This is a real family secret, so treasure it. I am giving it to you now because it takes some important ingredients, and then time. Heads-up: it’s messy to make. But oh so worth it! Dorothée’s famous Gravlox Recipe Get…
How long does it take to make a piece of jewellery: A Studio Tour
At shows I often get the question “How long does it take you to make one of these?” The answer is not so straightforward. Mainly, as there are various stages to each piece I create, I am rarely working on…
Looking back on 2024: Family Reunion
In May of 2024, I was able to take a trip back to Germany for a family reunion. I wrote the following Sunday Letters about my experience reconnecting with memories, places, and people. This past week has seemed like a…
Is Recycled Gold Ethical?
It’s the same quality as any other gold but beware of greenwashing We all try to do our part in working towards a healthier planet, and recycling is certainly part of that journey. When it comes to gold, however, that…
Are Lab-Grown Diamonds more Ethical?
Update Jan 2025: Aether Diamonds has been bought out by an international diamond company and as their process may have changed, I no longer trust their traceability and therefore sadly am not carrying their diamonds. For laboratory-grown diamonds, I only…
Sustainablity Award
A little break As this year is rushing to the finish line, I have been a busy li’l elf in my studio. Except for Friday afternoon, when I took a delightful trip to Nova Scotia’s South shore. Ever inspiring! What…
Custom vs Bespoke
About once a week, I send a client away. “What business owner in their right mind would do this??” you might ask. “One that has very thoroughly thought about what they enjoy doing,” I would reply. And because the difference…
Amethyst
February is Amethyst month. One of the world’s most popular coloured gemstones, this purple favourite has been used in jewellery for thousands of years. Geological origins As a type of quartz (technically silicon dioxide), amethyst gets its purple to violet-purple…
How a Stone is Set
Today I promised to give you a behind-the-scenes look of the creation of a piece I posted yesterday on Instagram: an engagement ring which happens to involve the September birthstone: sapphire! This one is Australian, and – like many Australian…
Above and Beyond ‘Recycled’ Silver and Gold
Recycling was cool. Remember when recycling was the coolest thing? We were feeling ok about using plastic copiously, because we could recycle it. Remember when buying something made from ‘recycled plastics’ made you feel kinda good? And then we found…
The Diamond Truth: Misinformation in the Diamond Industry
Recently, I came across a CBC Marketplace special investigation on diamond claims. As an independent goldsmith, I was curious to see what they had uncovered, hoping to learn something new. However, what they ‘revealed’ are all facts I have been…
Coal and Gold Mines
The first real snow fell here in Halifax this weekend, which was kind of fun, I won’t lie. On Friday, schools were closed. While I definitely worry about people who have to show up for work regardless, and may be…
Peru Protests
Oh there is just so much violence right now. What is happening in Iran is awful. The suffering continues in Ukraine. Haiti, Yemen, Ethiopia, Myanmar. And in Peru the death toll of protesters being killed by police is rising. President…
Relax and Open
This morning is such an interesting one. So varied for so many people. Some will be exhausted from preparations late into the night, from creating magic in their children’s lives, who will wake excitedly and too early. Others will feel…
My Creative Journey aka Retired Pieces
Over the years there have been many pieces that have come into fruition from my imagination into metal, and then at some point my inspiration shifted and other Series evolved. Here is an archive of some of my retired collections. …
Gold with a Conscience: Why I’m using ethical Fairmined ECO Gold
Why Fairmined Gold? For months now, I have been experimenting with a new technique, making sample after sample, fiddling with results, and continuously improving the design and new technique. And I have been doing a lot of thinking, because ……
All About my OneFooter Collection
Initial Inspiration I am always interested in working with line, exploring manipulation of the line itself, and of volume created through line. And I love to move metal. My OneFooter Series is the most pivotal example of these creative passions. …
Sterling Silver Rings with Gems – Limited Time Left!
– June 17th, 2021 – Are you sitting down? I will not create any more OneFooter rings with gems in sterling silver. Going forward I will only put gems on top of 18k gold or palladium white gold rings. For one thing: if ever…
What Ring Size am I?
How do you figure out what ring size you are in a reliable way? This has been something that had come up often as a jeweller, helping my clients find the right size for custom and online jewellery. The most…
Jewellery Design Training – In Conversation my Former Professor, Pamela Ritchie
I was honoured to be joined in conversation by my former professor, Pamela Ritchie, governor-general-award winning jewellery artist. Pamela is an artist‐jeweller based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. She received her MFA from the Nova Scotia College of Art and…
Palladium White Gold
Palladium White Gold Yellow gold certainly has been making a huge come-back. But let me introduce you to an alternative: 18k palladium white gold. Palladium white gold is beautifully dense and strong, and is wonderful to work with as a…
How to Care for Your Jewellery
EXPERTAdvicewith Dorothée Rosen JEWELLERY CARE Handcrafted jewellery was made with great care; it is lovely to treat it in the same way. Generally, follow common sense: shower or wash your hands and put on lotions, perfumes or deodorants before you…
August birthstone: Spinel
EXPERT Advice with Dorothée Rosen Spinel • August’s Birthstone I bet half of you will be surprised to read that there is a birthstone for August which you’ve never even heard of? It’s true – and what a beauty it…
Pearls
Expert advice with Dorothée Rosen Pearls An Introduction About a year ago, I started working again with pearls, and launched a new pearl series, so I thought this would be a good time to briefly discuss these amazing gems. Watch…
Grainfree Baking
Upon popular demand, I am sharing my grainfree cracker recipe, as well as two grainfree cake recipes, one specifically for Passover
How is Jewellery Made? Fabrication
EXPERT Advicewith Dorothée Rosen How is jewellery made? Fabrication As explained in my last article about casting, some designs lend themselves to being created in wax and then being cast from molten metal. Other designs are better suited to being…