Skadi Jewellery Design by Clare Davidson
Tell your dark and alluring tale through the ages
Passionate about jewellery but unable to find the kind of bold unique alternative pieces she wanted to wear, Clare set out to make the Gothic fine jewellery she wanted to see. As a born tinkerer and lover of dark ornament, at just 18 years old it was immediately clear that jeweller was the perfect vocation.
Clare graduated from Curtin University of Technology with a Bachelor of Arts (Jewellery Design) in 2008 where she discovered she loved making jewellery even more than she loved wearing it. In her final year at University Skadi Jewellery Design was born.
Clare has always been completely enchanted by the beauty of Winter (snow especially) so she felt her business name should reflect this in the same way her designs do. Skadi is a frost giant and goddess from Nordic mythology. She is commonly associated with Winter, shadows and mountains and for Clare perfectly represents what her work is about; beauty, strength, distinction and enticing stories, all with a touch of darkness.
Growing up with 3 older brothers I never developed much of an interest in make up and high heels, dresses or manicures. No, the way I always expressed my personality was through jewels. And considering my early years were spent in a Gothic revival Victorian mansion full of cats in Tasmania, it doesn’t take a genius to see where I derived my style.
When I make and wear a piece of jewellery it’s because I believe it makes a statement about who I am. Wearing something that is so unique to you makes you feel stunning. That’s why I especially love creating custom pieces. I weave the customer’s tale into the piece and the end result is a wonderful collaboration which comes as a pleasant surprise even to me.
I design and hand craft each piece with only the best and most endurable materials so that they have the potential to be an heirloom.
I love to translate something delicate and beautiful like lace into something you can wear forever. The ephemeral into the tangible, like a story recorded in a book. I’ve always been influenced by the ornate design of furniture, architecture and jewellery of past centuries. But it’s not just the beauty that inspires, it’s also the craftsmanship and attention to detail; craftspeople would dedicate their entire lives to perfecting one skill. That’s the kind of quality and ability I aspire to.
To each piece I devote time, attention to detail, love, care and a piece of my story. I don’t believe that process has ended when the piece is finished. The customer who adopts a piece is the one that infuses it with a story, gives it life and loves it so they’re just as important as the piece itself.
I currently live in Melbourne/Naarm, Australia with my wonderful partner, cats Betty and Peggy and our vast collection of books (my partner is a librarian, I swear I didn’t plan that, just got lucky). I spend my days at home in my little studio designing and making jewellery while the cats supervise and make helpful suggestions like ‘wouldn’t it be better if it was on the floor?’.
You can find Clare’s work in a few stores in Melbourne/Naarm and all the latest designs here in the store section. See stockists for more details or check out the Skadi Instagram to see the making process.
