Hello There!

 

 

As early as I can remember, I have been fascinated (to the point of obsession) with crystals and gemstones. Growing up, my family cottage was in the heart of the Ontario’s gem country, so the world famous Bancroft Rockhound Gemboree was an annual event that I anticipated with a Christmaslike intensity. My childhood rock collection was relegated to my parents basement when I grew up and entered the real world, and for a time I got distracted by various modes of artistic expression, including writing, photography, and even film and music production. 

Moving out West to British Columbia introduced me to the mountains, and in exploring these impressive giants I rekindled my love affair with minerals. What would often start as a stress relieving stroll along a river bed would soon turn into a rock gathering mission. Each rockhunt would lead me deeper and further into the mountains, until I found my first gemstone! Then I was hooked! But what to do with the boxes and boxes of rocks I was now collecting as a responsible adult?

As fate would have it, a series of events landed me in a family run jewellery shop, and gave me the opportunity to learn from two incredibly talented goldsmiths. This new knowledge base, experiences and setting allowed me to reconnect with my childhood passion of collecting rocks and gems, but this time with the purpose of turning them into one of a kind pieces of custom jewellery!

I use the lost wax casting method. This involves carving what will be metal out of a special wax that is then baked out in an oven to create a one of a kind mold. We shoot molten into the mold, and if all goes well, a brand new bespoke piece of jewellery will emerge! 

My work is a gemstone first concept, as I usually begin with a specific jewel and craft the setting to suit it perfectly. A lot of conventional jewellery making is the other way around. My approach allows the gem itself to speak and carry the design of the finished piece, telling a geologic story that took place long before humans ever existed. 

Thanks for stopping by! 

Joshua S. Estabrooks