Jewel in the crown
You know I love a local designer and even more so if it happens to be jewellery that’s being created.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, jewellery really is my passion and I for one would feel underdressed if I wasn’t wearing a few pieces.
Some might say I wear too much but I would personally say not enough! With so much out there, I love to come across something a little bit different like Luna Ray Jewellery.
It was set up during lockdown in 2021 with a desire to create unique and sustainable jewellery. Inspired by nature, each piece is carefully slow-made by hand from a garden shed in Cork.
The pieces are created with clay and mixed mediums. Some are delicately painted with gold leaf and acrylics and finished with a gloss for that extra sparkle. Dedicated to zero waste, they even use scraps of leftover clay to make new designs and they have a one-of-a-kind collection dedicated to these pieces. No two pieces are the same, so you'll be wearing something truly unique to you.
As the designer and creator Lorna says: “Having completed an art and design portfolio course in 2011, I obtained a commerce degree and worked internationally in multiple sales and marketing roles.
“During the lockdown, I began playing with clay as a hobby and I realised that I absolutely love coming up with the designs and creating each piece. I gather my inspiration for new styles and collections from nature and interiors. Each pair of earrings are slow-made by hand (this is not fast fashion) from my garden shed and no two pairs are exactly the same so you are sure to wear something truly unique”.
You can follow along Lorna’s design process on her Instagram and Facebook page @lunarayjewellery or sign up to the newsletter and be the first to catch any new arrivals to the website lunarayjewellery.com.
Lorna is also open to custom requests and bridal party commissions and I personally think the daisy earrings would be amazing worn by a summer bride for a cool and quirky touch.
Another new Cork business I’m loving at the moment is Kitsch 2the Core. Jane the owner has cherry picked fabulous vintage pieces with a kitschy vibe and lots of print and colour which obviously ticks more than a few boxes for me.
I recently purchased two vintage dresses from here and I’m looking forward to wearing them this summer with a chunky dad sandal and lashings of jewellery. If a gorgeous vintage print is your thing then definitely have a browse and the packaging is plastic free which is always a bonus.
In other news you may remember I mentioned the Touch of Gold collection from Cork online vintage jewellery store Ivy’s Attic a little while back which featured classic vintage inspired gold pieces that were perfect for layering.
The second drop is online this Saturday, and it builds on those classic and timeless pieces of the first collection but with a little more personality and is a great way to perfect that layered jewellery look as all the pieces are made to work so well together. Definitely a date for the diary!