I had my first contact with artisan jewellery in Australia in the early ‘90s when we travelled there for the first time. I was really into jewellery by then and was bedazzled by the range and diversity of the unique handmade jewellery in Australia; it became something that I would look forward to, in subsequent trips. We first went to Cairns (my husband was attending a conference there) and I still have such strong memories of the ride on the Kuranda Scenic Railway, and whiling away the day in the Kuranda markets, admiring and browsing the vast array of locally made jewellery, woodwork, leather goods, pottery and Aboriginal art. If my memory fails me not, a necklace that I still have, of twisted wire loops with coloured crystal bead came from there! Just as exciting for me, then in my earrings phase, was a shop near our hotel that sold beautiful dangly artisan earrings made of pewter, at $7.95 per pair. I think I bought about five pairs over a few days, wore them a lot, and although I no longer wear earrings now, I still admire them and have kept them as exemplars of one-of-a-kind artisan jewellery in Australia.

The Brisbane Sunday market by the riverside that I subsequently visited on the same trip was just as exciting in its handmade jewellery offerings, and I remember wishing that we could return to Brisbane again soon! We didn’t, but we were to visit Sydney many times over the subsequent years. I was by then into collecting beads and making beaded necklaces and a particular beads shop at a shopping mall near The Rocks became a must-visit on each trip to Sydney – it had such a vast and diverse collection of beads from all over the world, and I bought many beads there over the years. Alas, it closed some years back. I would also buy earrings, rings and cuffs from The Rocks Market, and I still have and wear a gemstone beaded necklace from one of the boutiques there.

Given my interest in artisan jewellery, it is perhaps not surprising that I developed a strong interest in beads in the early ‘90s, collecting beads wherever I travelled, from gemstone to vintage. I then started designing necklaces for myself and for friends, and occasionally consigning some to boutiques in Singapore, whenever a busy academic career permitted. During Covid, and with the wind down of my academic career, I made the bold decision, encouraged by my niece, to start an online shop selling my one-off pieces. We agreed, right from the start, that our focus would be one-off necklaces, quality beads, and good design that is not trend driven

Before launching Manik last year, I first spent more than two years designing over a hundred different necklaces. That period of consistent making, rather than occasional efforts, deepened my understanding and appreciation of composition and curation, gemstones, vintage beads and material balance. Over time, the necklaces became more assured, more nuanced, and more reflective of the design language I wanted Manik to embody.

Earlier this year, I took time to analyse our necklaces, always subconsciously aware that my designs cover a few different ‘styles’. I was delighted when I was able to uncover five different style families into which our Manik necklaces could be slotted, and I named these five as Contemporary Sculpturals, Refined Classics, Bold Expressions, Heritage-inspired, and Curated Casuals (if interested in reading more about Manik’s style families, please read the related blog post on the website). Finally, my ‘theory’ has caught up with my practice, though I see this as a ‘soft’ taxonomy rather than a rigid classification system as some necklaces may be predominantly in one style family, and ‘borderline’ another, or a hybrid.

The necklace Sakura in the photo accompanying this article (so called because its main bead is Sakura agate) is a refined classic, pairing the Sakura agate with rose quartz, enhanced by subtle gold accents, aimed to highlight the natural beauty and gentle tones of these gemstones, creating a look that is refined, softly luminous, timeless and feminine (probably much more feminine than a loft of my other designs). Our refined classics are usually symmetrical, and more quietly elegant in a conventional manner with a soothing colour palette.

In contrast, in the bold expressions family, stronger colours and personality come to the fore, and the necklaces are driven by visual impact and presence. Look at Contrast in our shop, pairing pieces of deep green ruby zoisite with luminous amethyst, celebrating the power of strong expressive colour in a design that is bold, yet composed, intensity balanced with clarity. This distinctive necklace makes a statement.

The style family in which I probably design more of my necklaces than others is the contemporary sculpturals, and Topography, Crystal Clear, Painterly (sold) and Aquarelle (sold) in our shop are all necklaces in this family. They may look different, with Crystal Clear (howlite, rock crystal and bright silver) being shape driven and geometry led, while Painterly (Picasso jasper, labradorite, agate and bright silver) is dreamy, nuanced and gently luminous, but they do share the same design DNA in that the approach is guided by form, balance and a consideration of how the materials relate to each other. Each necklace in this style family explores structure in a different way, but all share a sculptural approach to line and space.

Over the years I have appreciated the character of unique handmade jewellery in Australia – the relaxed confidence, the dare-to-be different, and the way artisan makers often balance creativity with wearability. Artisan jewellery in Australia seems to value pieces that feel personal rather than overly formal or trend-driven, and that ethos resonates strongly with our own approach to slow jewellery at Manik.

Individuality, craftsmanship, material richness and personal expression, hallmarks of unique handmade jewellery in Australia are also the qualities that shape Manik’s design philosophy. Every necklace we design is one of a kind, thoughtfully made with carefully selected gemstone and/or vintage beads, and designed within one of our five style families: Contemporary Sculpturals, Refined Classics, Bold Expression, Heritage-inspired and Curated Casuals.

A client recently commented that wearing different necklaces from our collection seem to bring out different facets of herself, and I think that the idea of jewellery as personal expression rather than simply adornment – is something many Australians instinctively understand and appreciate. Each necklace is created slowly and intuitively, with the hope that the wearer discovers in it something that feels both distinctive and personally meaningful.