The Bite Magazine - Spring 2019 - Issue 24

bite jewellery stones, geodes and slices of exquisite minerals.” “I love it when someone says, ‘Oh no, that’s too big and heavy for me’ and I say ‘just try it on.’ That’s when this amazing transformation happens. The stones light up the wearer’s face and they become lovely and warm, and they work on all body types and sizes.” It is amazing how something that looks big and chunky can feel so comfortable against your skin. Giving another example, Carol told us about someone who initially thought one of her pieces would not suit them because of their stature and the size of the gems. “Recently, I persuaded a friend who is petite to wear one of the Betty & Wilma necklaces just for the afternoon. She had protested she was too short to pull off the look. The necklace was designed with half a dozen square or rectangular quartz slices, each one more than four centimetres wide and long. We went to Harrods for lunch. There, she was stopped by three strangers who asked her where she found ‘that beautiful piece’. Smiling from the compliments, she confided to me that she actually forgot she was wearing it! I was delighted.” From the Wilma & Betty collection, you’ll find pieces such as the Am- ethyst Necklace which is sourced from a rare type in Brazil and has a beautiful cloudy effect. It is hand-knotted and measures 17 inches, with a sterling silver ‘S’ clasp. The Ammonite Necklace is simply amazing be- cause it is made from prehistoric fossils that are billions of years old. Carol has successfully turned this piece into a beautifully curated wearable art that has a rare calibration of 17 authentic ammonite fossils. There are many wonderful designs in this collection that simply take your breath away but one of the more minimalistic pieces is the Gold Orient Keshi Pearl Necklace. The name ‘Keshi’ refers to the distinctive shape of the lustrous freshwater pearls from Japan and would be ideal with an evening gown or cocktail dress. Another wonderful design is the Sea Glass Necklace, in a stunning ocean blue colour, which will certainly get you noticed and set you apart from the crowd. Carol’s other collections include Vitamin D, a collection of beaded brace- lets and necklaces in minerals of kyanite, lapis, obsidian and lepidolite with a raw bead of diamond. On the Rocks is a collection of rings, neck- laces and pendants in amethyst geode, aquamarine, auburn quartz, pyrite and other stones in their most raw form. The Twist consists of necklaces with pearls and precious stones twisted together to create amazing jew- ellery combinations, and Luxe is different types of necklaces such as the Royal Quartz & Diamond Pendant. One of the first jewellery pieces Carol designed was a pair of Christmas earrings made out of jigsaw pieces that must have looked very intrigu- ing and amazing. It can take as little as two hours, to a day and even a month to construct a wearable piece of jewellery due to the sourcing and designing that is involved. It also depends on whether Carol has all the components at the time and if they work together. As a designer who uses great materials and different stones, people will seek Carol out to create something unique for them. “Last fall, I made a long-length necklace of Herkimer quartz and raw, un- finished diamonds from the Indian subcontinent. When I finished putting the piece together, I just knew that I had made something stunning that looked like nothing I’d ever seen or created before. In my head, I couldn’t picture who would wear it. Sometimes I can ‘see’ the wearer, but this time, I couldn’t. But I absolutely knew that it would call to someone. That some- one turned out to be a royal from a foreign country, who saw the necklace displayed and decided she had to have it.”