FOURWAYS REVIEW, Week ending February 16, 2007.

Fourways: Jewellers are continuously modifying their designs to satisfy the market demands of people looking for that one unique piece of jewellery.  Deirdre Coleman (27) has captured a slice of that niche market, using aluminium can rings.

 "My passion is working with found objects.  I enjoy the process of transforming various objects and combining them with  beads, silver and precious stones.  The end result is beautiful, functional jewellery," said Coleman.

 "I started using the element of can rings in my designs when I went to a huge functions and asked on of the cleaning women to collect as many tabs as she could for me.  I thought they were quite unconventional so I cleaned them up and bent them by hand. 

Her passion for jewellery started at a young age, "I come from a fairly creative family.  My mother was a potter and my sister is a brilliant artist.  My father isn't good at things like drawing, but he's brilliant with his hands and he helps me come up with ways of designing in a quick, effective manner," explained a cheerful Coleman. 

"When I was seven years old I remember making my grandmother my first beaded necklace.  From then on I just couldn't stop collecting beads".  "I studied jewellery design at Stellenbosch University and graduated with a BA in Fine Arts, namely creative jewellery and metal design, and the rest of it comes for practice and experience."  Coleman designs and makes a broad spectrum of jewellery for clients ranging from 20 - 50 years.  The intricacy  of each piece means that they can take up to six hours to complete. 

She also draws inspiration from "different funky jewellery.  I'm in awe  that jewellers can make such elaborate works.  In five years time I hope to have my name known and be in exhibitions overseas," concluded Coleman.