Journal

I first met Engela and Cameron when they approached us to craft Engela’s engagement ring; a customised take on our Dawn Ring set with three well-loved gems, a diamond and two emeralds from Cameron’s grandmother’s ring. Just less than a year later we gathered around our consultation table again to chat about their wedding rings! A Lord of the Rings band for Cameron and two...

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From electronic waste to golden nugget, a step by step overview of our e-waste recycling process. E-waste collection and sorting E-waste must be manually dismantled and sorted. This is a labour-intensive process. The components which do not contain precious metals (primarily plastics and aluminium) are sent to specialised recyclers. The precious metal containing e-waste is fully processed at our facility. Depending on volume this is...

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I have been pretty quiet of late, here on this journal, on our socials and honestly in person too; but I am (and we are) most assuredly still here. 2024 so far has been AuTerra Jewellery’s wintering. It has been a time of great purpose, despite the fact that most of the growth has been invisible, happening beneath the surface. It is becoming more and...

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Gold, celebrated throughout history for its beauty and rarity also has certain notable properties that make it indispensable in the production of today’s electronic devices.    Conductivity: Gold is an excellent conductor of electricity, this ensures efficient data transmission and reliable electrical connections. Resistance to corrosion and tarnish: This ensures longevity and durability of the components. Malleability: Gold can be drawn into incredibly fine wires,...

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Diamond engagement rings are synonymous with love and commitment. But their rise to popularity isn’t without its more sombre details. In today’s journal entry we take a look at the history of engagement rings as well as current trends and ways to update the tradition for 21st century values. Engagement rings can be traced all the way back to Ancient Rome. These original betrothal rings...

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Few pieces are as special to make as those for whom you adore. We had the great honour of making my brother and his wife’s wedding rings. Never has crafting a piece been more joyful or more pressure ridden (you see, he and I share a love of impeccable craftmanship and he’s got a well trained eye!).  They chose to keep things relatively simple with...

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Sometimes dream projects come along. When these are also brought to us by the loveliest of customers, well, then the whole process is something quite magical. Jani’s first email landed in my inbox with a pretty clear idea of what she and her fiancé Peter wanted for her engagement ring, a beautiful 5 stone U-cut setting. After chatting through all the details, they decided on...

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Our studio is full of chatter, much of it idle, some of profound, most of it hilarious. But we decided the time was right to delve into a more intentional conversation between Ash, our founder, and Claire, the founder of Botanica Jewellery and not so coincidentally the brand with whom we share our studio. Ash: I think we should probably start at the beginning, and...

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Pure gold is also known as 24 karat gold. In its natural form it is simply too soft to be made into jewellery. In order to strengthen it, and make it suitable for jewellery, pure gold is combined with various other metals (depending on the desired colour ). The ratio of gold to alloy is what determines the karat. Think of it as a recipe,...

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