“I have always been fascinated with the miniature side of life. My father built a beautiful Dolls House with working lights and moving doors. My sister and I both spent years equipping it with furniture and rearranging the tiny furnishings. I remember cutting up old pill packets, carefully turning each clear plastic pocket into a perfect bowl to set on the minute dining room table. And so the desire to create on a small scale was born.

My Mother’s dressing table held treasures too. A jewellery box that could only be opened by moving the secret mechanism …. And inside a twinkle of delicate chains that I would carefully disentangle un-knot and even mend with my Mother’s eyebrow tweezers. I had nimble fingers and I was pleased by this new found skill. My Mum was quite chuffed too!”

After the haze of childhood days in Solihull in the West Midlands, Rowena undertook a degree in Educational Media Design at Manchester Metropolitan University and later studied Jewellery Design at City College Manchester in the early nineties.

Rowena taught Jewellery Design and Art and Design for Bolton Community Education Services before working as a freelance model maker to the advertising, animation, TV and media industries. She has worked as a prop maker and set builder for shows such as Bill And Ben The Flower Pot Men, Fetch The Vet, Rotten Ralph, Bob The Builder, My Parents Are Aliens and on adverts for the likes of The Halifax, Cadbury’s and Johnnie Walker Whisky.

A graduate from the New Entrepreneur Scheme at Manchester Metropolitan University Business School Rowena set up her jewellery business in 2003. At present this runs alongside her teaching post as joint Course Leader of the BTEC National Diploma in Jewellery at City College Manchester.

Rowena is a member of The Association of Contemporary Jewellery and Manchester Jewellers Network.