Rhiannon

One day during the early 1970s I chanced upon an exhibition in London where some of the finest artefacts from Britain and Europe had been collected and displayed together. At the time, Celtic art was not as familiar or as popular as it is today, and such exhibitions were rare. I was stunned by the outstanding quality of the designs, and by the exquisite workmanship in stone and metal, which was easily comparable to that of ancient Greece or Egypt.

I was struck by the familiarity of the symbolic imagery in the exhibition, which often related directly to the ancient Welsh legends that I had known from childhood. I had the strongest feeling that this was my own heritage, even though the artistry belonged to a distant time and people, the power of the visual imagery was enough to convey the original message to anyone, whatever their language. I was inspired by the exhibition, and I felt compelled to continue the work of those generations of dedicated craftspeople, producing new work within the same ancient tradition. Having chosen precious metals as my medium, I set about learning the necessary skills. From the start every piece of the jewellery was accompanied by a leaflet explaining the meaning of the design.

As well as being visually attractive, my work was a means of sharing what I understood of our cultural Celtic heritage. Over the past 40 years my skill and technique has improved by experiment and practice, and my knowledge and understanding has developed through a continued interest in Celtic scholarship and research.During this time we have also become a family company. I have three sons and a daughter, all of whom grew up in the business and learnt the basic skills of jewellery making.

My jewellery is now bought and worn by many people across the world, as well as by Welsh people everywhere. I still design, model and test-produce every new piece myself, as well as personally making all limited edition pieces and occasional commissioned work. As a family firm we will always ensure that quality and authenticity are maintained and that we do not lose our personal touch. Our jewellery is made to last and stamped with a full Hallmark from the London Assay Office, guaranteeing its origin and precious metal content for future generations.