The Meaning of Things, group exhibition at Craft Victoria, Melbourne, 2020

Gold Leaf

My meaningful object is a book of fragile gold leaf, given to me at the passing of my partner’s grandfather, Merv.

A keen hobbyist and lover of his shed, Merv was always tinkering away on odd jobs and honing his craft skills. When we first met he was interested in the fact I was a jeweller, and would always show me little jobs and projects he had been working on, proudly sharing tales & techniques with me.

This booklet of pure gold leaf was neatly kept in a Victorian Railways envelope, with a date stamp of 19th October, 1953, and his beautiful cursive script. Some sheets are missing; testament to his bygone projects, but the delicate remains have become a key part of many of my earring designs.

Using this gold leaf in my work, nearly 70 years on from its beginning, feels like I’m continuing an other-worldly connection to Merv, extending our shared passion for the handmade.