About

Little did I know , twenty seven years ago when I started a new career path at Central St Martins College of Art & Design in London , that it was going to hold my attention for this long ! I should have guessed it might….I wrote my thesis on “ Anthropological Aspects of Maltese jewellery “, exploring what jewellery means to my home people…. an exploration I have carried forward.

Jewellery fascinates me for the opportunities it offers on so many fronts-simple adornment, self expression about who we are, who we want to be, what impression we want to give, what it does for us in terms of mood and happiness-an enhancement of our lives be it from an everyday item or a special occasion piece.

Jewellery has the power to lift, to give joy, to give presence to our being in a way that is permanent in a world where not many things are. It is a symbol of ongoing love, of self respect and of self worth, an opportunity for the wearer to climb outside one’s shell and be more evident in our choice of self expression, celebrating who we are , and all the time being caressed by its reassuringly sensual pleasure on our bodies.

In my work over the years at craft fairs and shows I have explored this with my customers and potential customers,encouraging them to take the opportunity to try something new and different without any obligation. I believe it is important to explore in order to grow and to sometimes go outside our comfort zone to find “the look” that makes us happy and proud. The right piece of jewellery will give us more joy, more reassurance through its tactile qualities, more presence, more authority, even more success in life when success in my view means a fulfilled, happy life.

I have enjoyed wonderful contacts with my dear customers over the years and this has been terribly important to me. I have encouraged the first necklace piece to be a bit of an all-rounder to suit one’s wardrobe and ensuring “a lot of wear out of it.” The door is then open to really explore and enjoy the variations that Mother Earth yields in terms of natural stones to which I create embodiments in silver of that natural beauty to form an organic whole. There is always another one that catches their eye, many customers adding year on year to their collection of the many varied and unique options .

People are truly welcome to contact me for advice. I love the one-to-one nature of my work to find the right piece for an individual, taking into consideration personality, colour, tone ,shape and size on both sides! Sending a photo of yourself can ensure a perfect match! Finding the right home for my work is a crucial part of the story .

All the necklace stones are carefully selected, re-drilled to give a smooth channel to take numerous threads, burred to provide a cup shape for the knots to sit against to prevent fraying and individually knotted to maximise their quality and longevity. I believe contemporary jewellery should stand the test of time and be handed down through the generations.

All the pieces are hallmarked and have the option to be gold plated on request.

Simone Micallef

Books I Feature In

“Handmade in Britain” by Piyush Suri (Oct 2011)
“Does this Look Good on Me” by Karen Faulkner Dunkley. Feb 2012

Prizes/Awards

1996   First Prize in Motorola Competition “The Art of Conversation”, between six European Universities including Central St Martins where she trained.
1995   Goldsmiths’ Craft Council Precious Metal Bursary Scheme, for repousse work design
1995   Goldsmiths’ Craft Council Craftsmanship and Design Award - Commended

Previous Exhibitions

2005   North south East West, spring exhibition – Byard Art Gallery, Cambridge, 15-30 April
2004   Virtually Real – an exhibition by So-Art artists at the Mall Galleries, The Mall, London, 9-14 November
2004   Kings and Queens – an exhibition with sculptor Jonathon Clark at Byard Art Gallery, Cambridge, September 9 – October 2
2002   Goldsmiths’ Fair
2000 - present British Crafts exhibition Chiswick
1996   “The Art of Conversation” at the Gallery in Cork Street, London W1