Rooted in simplicity
Tricia Gordon-Johnston’s handmade jewellery takes shape
Published:Friday | May 19, 2023 | 12:42 AMKrysta Anderson/Staff Reporter
If all jewellery has a story to tell, we wonder what Tricia Gordon-Johnston’s pieces would say of her journey as a jewellery maker.
“My jewellery lines are inspired by my personal taste. If I wouldn’t wear it, I wouldn’t put it out there. I enjoy minimal shapes as an aesthetic and as a minimalist,” she told Living.
Her handmade pieces are primarily constructed from sterling silver, bronze and brass with genuine gemstones. The selected trio stem from pairing sterling silver with white gold. Years later, bronze came into the picture as an alternative material to be worn with yellow gold. Then brass became the upgrade for posterity.
Growing up, Gordon-Johnston was always a fan of jewellery. Her collections started and grew as a teenager. And she would somehow find a way to modify the designs. That ignited her dream to design her own pieces one day.
“I studied art, majoring in painting but I also studied other disciplines which carried over into my jewellery designs. I practise all the other disciplines, but the jewellery is the most profitable, so that receives the most focus,” she explained.
Since diving into this work of art in 2014, she has created popular pieces, simple geometric shapes like rectangles, squares and circles, “I believe customers are drawn to the simplicity and elegance of these minimal shapes.”
Developing her own style, the artist remains consistent in her creativity. It starts with an image in her mind. Dreaming up her designs, there are times when she is inspired by other people’s work, and it is then reimagined in a new and refreshing light.
“I will see a pair of earrings and think if only that was a triangle, for example, with a square cut out. Then I draw them and make them into pieces. Sometimes I use my old templates, sometimes at a different scale and sometimes I create new templates. I make adjustments during the creation process at times, drawing from previous experiences and attempting to make each design unique,” she revealed.
Her favourite part of jewellery making is actually creating. “I love working with my hands.” A close second for her is seeing the finished piece and having that satisfied feeling of ‘I made that’.
When it comes to accessories, she believes jewellery will make or break an outfit. They are a strategic part of dolling up or dressing down any attire. Important to note is that she thinks about her jewellery of choice first before going into the closet for outfit options.
So what’s next for this entrepreneur? She will continue to fulfil her passion and purpose of creating art. “I hope to grow consistently by expanding with new retailers so that I have motivation to continue the work. I also want to expand so that I can at some point employ other jewellers and help them grow.”
Tricia Gordon-Johnston’s jewellery are presently available at Gaychel Boutique, Things Jamaican at Devon House, local airports, Rockhouse Boutique in Negril, The American Jewellery Company in Mall Plaza and PeaceisofBianca – available viewing by appointment.