A flame I didn’t know I’d been carrying: The journey that sparked Contemporanea 💜

𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀, 𝗮 𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗶𝘁.
This is the story of how a family trip to Spain helped me rediscover my love for jewellery — and how that quiet flame became Contemporanea.

A journey across Spain

𝗜𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯, 𝘄𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗻.

We went to visit my in-laws and extended family — not only for them to meet our son, but for me to finally meet them in person too.

Our boy had just turned one, and he was walking everywhere! From airport terminals and aircraft aisles to staircases in terrazas, museums, subways, monasteries, and memorials… we followed his little feet across it all.

𝗜𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀, 𝗮𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗼𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗼𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝘀𝗮𝘀, we took time to visit places close to my partner’s heart. And it was in one of those small towns that I met two artists whose 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆 stirred something deep within me.

I was reminded of how it once felt to 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗯𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱. I studied silversmithing almost 20 years ago — and I realised that 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗹𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗹𝗲𝗳𝘁.

A quiet flame, reignited

𝗦𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.

Later in the trip, I had the honour of visiting 𝗜𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗮 𝗔𝗶𝘇𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗯𝗲, a contemporary jewellery artist based in Madrid. Seeing her work and hearing her speak about her process — her commitment to material, construction, and evolution — helped me reconnect with something I’d been missing.

I left her studio inspired and moved.

𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻. 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗺𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀. 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲. 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲.

 

From inspiration to Contemporanea

𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝗔𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗼𝗮, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗯𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗲.

I started making plans to re-train, update my skills, and dive back into jewellery making.

And then — during a kitchen conversation with my partner (because let’s be honest, the best ideas happen while cooking or sharing a drink!) — the dream grew bigger.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝗳 𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗺𝘆 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸?
What if I could build something that honoured the work of others too?

Something that could 𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴.
A space where female artists from around the world could share their stories and their jewellery — pieces made slowly, thoughtfully, and with heart.

That’s how 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗲𝗮 was born.

The space this became

From a tiny spark to a platform that now holds the work of talented, soulful artists — each piece a reminder of what it means to create with intention, and to wear something that reflects who you are.

If you’re someone who finds joy in 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗳𝘂𝗹, 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀, you’ll feel right at home here.
If you’re looking for jewellery that speaks — 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆, 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝘆𝗹𝗲, 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 —
𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂.

Because sometimes, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝘄𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝘂𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝘄𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲.

 

✨ 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗸𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗲.
👉 Explore Contemporanea