Isn’t it surreal how life loops back to what we first loved?

Before I was The Illustrated Jeweller, I was simply someone who adored painting, drawing, and creating small intricate pieces that held stories in their lines. It was this passion that naturally led me into an illustration degree, and soon after, down to Brighton—a city full of light, colour, and opportunity.

In those early years, I turned to tattooing to support myself. What began as a job quickly became a calling. For nearly two decades, I etched delicate, detailed artwork into skin-tiny treasures that felt more like art than fashion. But like all industries, tattooing evolved. These days, the trend is for minimal line work and ‘sticker tattoos. While there’s absolutely a place for those, it simply doesn’t light that same fire in me. I missed depth. Story. Texture.

I needed to make art for joy again.

So I returned to my roots, merging my tattooist’s precision with my illustrator’s imagination-resulting in detailed pieces like Whispers and Wings. In this design, swallows swirl amongst chains and charms, tangled in soft pastel botanicals and gentle golden tones. Each bird is drawn from sailor folklore, where tattooed swallows symbolised a safe return. If a sailor were lost at sea, legend said these birds would carry his soul to heaven.

It’s not just art-it’s a soft storm of stories. Old souls fluttering in harmony with talismans of hope, protection, and identity.

The techniques are the same: fine lines, layered textures, delicate eyestrain. But now, I work on The techniques are the same: fine lines, layered textures, delicate eyestrain. But now, I work on paper, silk, and gold. The “Whispers & Wings” echoes this same symbolism, offering charms and adornments that continue the tale, offered in a luxury_ gift box