Jewels for Christmas

Yes indeed! We are celebrating the end of the year with an evening showcasing some of Wellington's finest emerging jewellery makers!

Jewels for Christmas has a long legacy of showcasing great jewellery. We began holding this event over 13 years ago as an annual opportunity to bring makers, the jewellery and the customers together for a short and sweet evening of celebration, shopping and community. These kinds of events are great fun and also really help us fulfil our mission, which is to support and strengthen the jewellery-making community. Providing pathways through education, business mentoring and space to make, develop and sell work is at the heart of Workspace's Tikanga.

This year our Pōneke studio is holding the event again with work from 10 of our regular students. We wanted the exibitors to be able to have work in progress on display, as well as works for sale. And as we have ten workbenches, we have 10 artists exhibiting!

It's been really lovely getting to hear a few of the stories of how these makers came to begin their jewellery making and what it brings to their lives.

Here's a little taste of a few of the artists behind the jewellery on show...

Avery Underwood is an Alaskan now based in Thorndon and has been making for a long time. She found Workspace when looking for a studio space.

" I love that jewelry is art you can wear every day, that you can swap out to create a different little museum or gallery each day to suit how you feel. You can create something that someone can also wear every day, that reminds you of them and brings them joy. Jewelry to me is a small engineering project and involves calculations and planning but also has endless boundaries of what you can create with different methods."

Char Schella is based in Kāpiti and travels to Wellington & Ōtaki for classes. Her favourite part of jewellery making is all about stories.

"As a person who has always been compelled to tell the stories that bind and separate us - and try to understand the ever-changing world around me - jewellery making has offered me another channel through which to do this. As someone who used to take great pleasure in treasure-hunting cool, unique, expressive jewellery, I now find incredible satisfaction in the process of planning and then making it myself. I like the journey almost as much as the final result."

Phil Bain shares what he loves about a favourite piece he made using family gold.

"My dad never wore his gold wedding band. So, mum asked me to reuse it and create a piece for her. I melted the gold down at Workspace, shaped the ingot into a pear-shaped pendant, and then added fine beaded wire around the edge. It was a very satisfying project; both the technical work and the personal connection."

Jordyn Broughton has been making jewellery since 2021. She loves to use sea glass that she began collecting when she lived in Eastbourne.

"Jewellery making is my quiet time. My most favourite part about the jewellery making/selling process is getting to meet everyone and hearing their own stories about collecting Sea glass and giving people tips on how to make jewellery."

There are 6 more jewellers to meet - Rowan Winters, Liv Hogg, Mikaela King, Emma Proucelle, Tracie Almond and Gina Goad. Why not come along and see what all the fuss is about?

What: Jewels for Christmas - from Workspace Students.

When: 15 December, 6 - 8pm

Where: Workspace Studios, 65 Abel Smith St, Wellington / Pōneke

There will be eftpos and afterpay available, and it is a cash & carry show (meaning you can take your purchases away on the night).

See you there!

Aroha nui

Vaune, Jennie & the team from the Pōneke workshop.