Citrus Haze cufflinks by Melanie Rice

Citrus Haze enamelled cufflinks by Melanie Rice
$198
Available in-store or online

Colour stirs emotion in me; the delicious, heady rush of colour.  My senses are also excited by texture.  Both make me feel alive and excited. I want my jewellery to make others feels this way too.  I use the enamelling process – with copper, silver and gold –  to materialise the colours and textures that I feel instinctively when I create a piece of jewellery.

Then there are the endless patterns, designs and luminosity of traditional cultural adornments from around the world.  From a young age, playing with my mother's and grandmothers' Latvian rings, I have been inspired by the ancient designs of traditional jewellery.  But it's not just the bold visual statement inherent in these pieces that attracts me.  I am captured by the story of the wearer and the cultural significance of their costume.  Naturally, I like to explore traditional techniques in the jewellery I make – from the the delicate twists of filigree to wonderful array of textures achieved through repousse and chasing.