Black Isle jeweller's eco-themed jewellery to wow crowds at UK-wide showcase
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DAZZLING creations by a jeweller from the Black Isle are set to be among the precious goods wowing onlookers at a national showcase of ethical gold and silver ware.
Eileen Gatt will be showing her wares as part of a festival highlighting eco-friendly and ethical gold and silver adornments.
Her work is heavily inspired by nature and sales of her bracelets at the Elements showcase in Edinburgh will benefit the RSPB’s work.
Her new pieces in the showcase include the likes of puffin and sand eel pendants and sea life bracelets. She will also be showing pieces that explore climate change, including a bangle that positions a rough cut aquamarine beside a polar bear.
She said: “My work features a lot of birds and animals and these new collections are very much focused on the environment. I have used the aquamarine to comment on how the melting of the ice in our polar regions is having a disastrous impact on wildlife and the environment.
“I’m also delighted to be continuing my long-running support for the RSPB’s sustainability projects to protect vulnerable species and am very much looking forward to giving visitors to Elements a first chance to see the new puffins collection.”
The fragile state of wildlife has always been an inspiration for Ms Gatt, who has previously produced jewellery celebrating the bottle-nosed dolphins of the Moray Firth.
She is also involved in her own project to convert the former post office in Munlochy into a workshop and retail space. This could help boost the local economy by attracting visitors driving the North Coast 500 route and passengers from cruise ships at Invergordon.
The studios, which are due to open in December will also provide benches for other makers and allow her to run jewellery workshops.
Elements will feature jewellery and silverware from crafters across the country, ranging in price from £45 to £15,000.
