Siobhán’s passion for jewelry began during a teenage exchange in Salamanca, Spain, where she fell in love with the boutique jewelry shops and dreamed of owning her own. Guided early on by her jeweler aunt, she learned the patience and craft of making jewelry, starting with wire-wrapping semi-precious stones and stringing beads. Over the years, her style has evolved from bold, geometric forms to softer, more organic designs, blending traditional goldsmithing with new materials like wax, titanium and glass.

Her work is deeply personal, exploring themes of fragility, nature and introspection. In her latest collection, Embrace, Siobhan captures fleeting moments of beauty through sculptural yet wearable pieces that invite reflection. She will be presenting her unique vision and craftsmanship at Romanian Jewelry Week, offering a glimpse into her creative journey and the stories woven into every piece.

1. Tell us a bit about your background. How did you discover your passion for jewelry?

I’ve always been artistic as a child and had a natural flair for design and colour combinations. But my passion for jewellery really became clear when I was around 15. I went to Salamanca in Spain on an exchange and fell in love with all the boutique jewellery shops there. I thought there was nothing like it in Ireland. From then, I decided I wanted to own my own jewellery shop. But it wasn’t until some years later that I started to make some pieces. I was really drawn to the holistic properties of stones, which I feel I am now only returning to in my work. I began to wire-wrap semi-precious stones and string beads when I was 17. My aunt was a jewellery maker and ran her own small business. She passed me down loads of tiny beads and showed me how to string. I will always remember beading necklaces onto a string and the whole string of beads falling to the floor. This was the beginning of teaching me patience in this craft-there was nothing you could do about it but just to start again.

2. How would you define the aesthetic direction of your jewelry brand?

I would describe the aesthetic of my brand as quietly bold and sculptural. My work is constantly evolving, and while I do not want to be defined by a single aesthetic, I still aim for a sense of recognisability. Over time, my style has definitely softened, shifting from more masculine and geometric forms to designs that are softer, more feminine, and flowing. This evolution has been influenced by changes in the tools and materials I’ve had access to. For example, learning to work with soft wax has opened a world of possibilities to me. I’m now exploring the balance between softer, organic forms and more exact, geometric elements. My pieces are refined and carefully crafted, grounded in a background of traditional goldsmithing. Like any creative practice, mine changes with time, reflecting both personal growth and shifts in process.

3. How do you choose your materials?

I choose my materials from a place of knowledge and a desire for mastery. With a background in goldsmithing, I’ve mostly worked with traditional materials like wax, silver and gold. They still form the foundation of my practice and offer endless possibilities for refinement and skill.

Gemstones have also played an important role in my work, not just for their beauty but for their energy and symbolism. I often choose stones intuitively, based on what I want the piece to evoke or communicate.

In recent years, I’ve become more curious and started exploring materials like titanium and glass. This has opened up new creative avenues and allowed me to think differently about texture, light, and structure. I’m interested in continuing to blur the lines between what’s considered traditional fine jewellery and more experimental, sculptural work.

4. How do you balance expressiveness and restraint in your work?

I’ve never consciously thought about being restrained in my work, but considering it, I realise that certain factors do create natural boundaries. Things like wearability, sellability, perfectionism, and time all play a part. My background in traditional goldsmithing also brings a level of discipline and precision that can feel like a form of restraint- but I also see it as a foundation to build on. Working in wax and silver- weight can be a practical limitation, a piece for me must be wearable and comfortable so instead of seeing that as a restriction, I treat it as a design challenge that can make the final piece better.

To balance this, I carve out intentional periods of creative exploration where I do not judge the outcome. I let myself play, experiment with new techniques, and think outside the traditional rules. The Creative Act by Rick Rubin really helped me embrace that mindset, to separate the process from the pressure of the final product.

5. How does personal introspection become form in your jewellery?

For me, making jewellery has always been a way to process and express my emotions, a way to make sense of the world through my hands. I see the concept behind a collection or a one-off piece as just as important as the piece itself. The process often begins in my sketchbook, through drawings, quotes, poems, and an exploration of scale and form. Introspection shows up in the materials I choose and the forms I create. For example, I’ve recently been working with glass- using it to reflect the fragility of life, but also the resilience that keeps showing up through it. Even what I am personally going through at the time of making a piece can find its way into the work, sometimes in subtle ways.

As I spend more time with a collection, the meaning deepens. The final, tangible piece becomes a vessel for layered stories and emotions, some conscious, some revealed only later. It feels like a web of stories that are being woven together, the piece is the spider and it does not stop weaving.

6. What inspired theEmbrace collection, and how did you translate it into wearable pieces?

The Embrace collection began with a collaboration on an orchid pendant with a friend who co-designed the collection with me. She encouraged me to create inorganic flower shapes, something I had not done before and this pushed me to explore new forms.

The collection is inspired by fragility and our deep connection to nature. A key influence behind the concept is the word Ambedo-a term describing a melancholic trance where one becomes fully absorbed in sensory details, creating an acute awareness of life’s fragility. This feeling often comes in fleeting moments of beauty, which I wanted to capture throughout the collection.

I was particularly drawn to raindrops on flower petals and chose the orchid as the central motif. To translate these ideas into pieces, I combined geometric and organic shapes, merging elements from my past work with this new perspective. This allowed me to explore the tension and harmony between structure and fluidity, creating designs that are both sculptural and wearable.

I also incorporated glass, a material I admire for its delicate appearance yet surprising strength. The set of eye rings symbolise a deepening awareness, while the floral elements bring nature’s influence directly into the collection. After over 8 months of working on the collection, I think I have captured exactly what I intended- Embrace invites us to slow down and reconsider our relationship to self and nature.

7. What impact do platforms like Romanian Jewelry Week and international events have on the jewelry community?

Events like Romanian Jewellery Week and other international platforms give artists a unique opportunity to showcase their work, often outside of their usual context. I see them as a celebration of the craft, a way to uphold high standards in the industry while also pushing things forward creatively. They create space not just for exposure, but for connection. Especially after COVID, the importance of community in what can often be a solitary practice became even clearer. Meeting others who are on a similar journey is both motivating and grounding. I don’t view other artists as competition, I believe we all rise by lifting each other, and these events reflect that spirit.

There’s something powerful about meeting people who genuinely value handcraft. These events often connect us with audiences we wouldn’t normally reach, people who understand the time, technique, and emotion that go into each piece. That also makes them valuable selling opportunities. It’s not just about commercial success, but about finding the right kind of buyers, those who connect with the work on a deeper level. These events can reinvigorate your love for the craft. By coming together with other makers, sharing expertise and experiences, we help shape a more dynamic and collaborative future for the jewellery industry.

With this, I want to acknowledge the four other amazingly talented Irish jewellers with whom I’ll be sharing this incredible opportunity to travel to Romania- Vanessa Ree, Nicole VanderWolf,  Natasha Heaslip and Louisa Scott. Without this event, we wouldn’t have connected, come together as a group, or used this platform to showcase the strength and creativity of independent studio jewellers in Ireland.

8. What intention do you have in relation to the wearer of your jewelry?

The intention behind my jewellery is to offer a reminder- a thread of contemplation that runs through each collection. Every body of work carries a few key sayings or themes. For example, Commence began with the affirmation: “This is my cue to take up space.” Full Circle explored the idea that darkness and light exist together. And Embrace reminds us that we are connected to nature and asks us to soften, to allow our relationship with ourselves and the natural world to deepen.

I want people to feel a deeper sense of self and belonging to the world through my pieces. At its core, my work is about interconnectedness- between people, nature, materials, and energy.

I believe the materials and objects we choose in our lives are energetic choices. It’s about intention and ritual, forming a closer connection with what we surround ourselves with. I’d love to continue developing my work in a more consciously ritualistic direction, though in many ways, I already feel each piece holds that intention.

9. Which of your own pieces is your favorite, and what is its story?

My favourite piece is my swan piece- Love Will Conquer. It’s not about technical perfection, in fact, it’s the opposite. What makes it special are the hours and the intention I poured into it during a really difficult time in my life. I created it in an almost sacred space, and it showed me just how powerfully healing the act of crafting can be. This piece represents inner knowing and the importance of not abandoning yourself, no matter how hard things get. It reminds me to keep showing up and practicing my craft, even when I do not feel like it. It also taught me that there’s beauty in imperfection and in letting go. Above all,  Love Will Conquer is a testament to something I’ve always believed: the ability to alchemise pain into beauty.

10. Name three artists or jewelry designers who have strongly influenced your work.

I have to mention one of my past tutors, Sé O’Donoughue of DaCapo Jewellers. His commitment to the craft, and the way he shares his knowledge so generously, is something I’ll always be grateful for. I’ve also been really inspired by fashion designer Gareth Pugh- his sculptural, futuristic designs and the way his shows make you feel something, even if it’s uncomfortable. That kind of emotional response through design has always stuck with me. And Irwin Springbrunn- a stone cutter and goldsmith whose energy, skill, and deep knowledge of the materials were incredible. Even after his passing, the work he left behind is a reminder of what is possible as a maker, and the kind of legacy you can leave.

11. If you were to create a piece inspired by a work of architecture or art, what would you choose and why?

All the architecture of Zaha Hadid. I’d love to dedicate time to creating pieces inspired by her life’s work. Her work is this perfect mix of movement, fluidity, and strength- it’s like sculptural poetry in built form. I feel like jewellery has a lot in common with that, especially when it blurs the line between wearable and sculptural. Her buildings would translate beautifully into bold, curvaceous statement pieces. Her buildings scream curiosity and a deep commitment to her craft and that’s what I would like to capture in my work too.

All images courtesy of the artist’s personal archive.
Interview created by the Romanian Jewelry Week team: Alexandra Bujeniță