I was sixteen.
"Can you teach me how to make a pair of earrings, Dad?"
And so it started there.
We had recently moved from St Ives to a farmhouse outside Penzance and Dad had converted the garage into a jewellery workshop. He taught all of us kids how to solder, melt down scrap silver, drill beads and cut sheet metal. We all had fun, but I was the only one who wanted to stick at it. When I came home from university, in the holidays, I was always pestering Dad to teach me something new.
After some years of living in London, I moved back to Cornwall. I was lucky enough to work with Breon, one day a week, for three years, before he gave up making jewellery. That was an amazing apprenticeship.
He once said,
"When you are making jewellery, you end up with odd beads that you keep in a box. I used to get Duibhne to make up some necklaces from these beads, and she put them together so well that I used to sell them as my own!"
I think that this experience led me to create my assorted beaded necklaces. I place bead by bead, thinking of the overall result wanted, but sometimes sneaking in an unexpected colour combination to liven things up.
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Duibhne Gough, Chalcedony, moonstone and silver earringsView more details
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Duibhne Gough, Sea glass, Korean jade and silver earringsView more details
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Duibhne Gough, Sea glass and silver earringsView more details
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Duibhne Gough, Purple jade and silver earringsView more details
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Duibhne Gough, E5View more details
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Duibhne Gough, E6View more details
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Duibhne Gough, Dyed amber, amethyst and silver earringsView more details
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Duibhne Gough, E8View more details
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Duibhne Gough, Phosphosiderite, agate, silver and 18ct gold earringsView more details
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Duibhne Gough, E10View more details
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Duibhne Gough, E11View more details
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Duibhne Gough, E12View more details
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Breon O'Casey and Duibhne Gough in Breon's weaving studio in Paul, Cornwall, circa 1980.
I love wearing earrings and I love making earrings! Here I can play with shapes. Adding texture with a hammer is very important as it leaves the maker's mark, like a thumb print, but it also lends character. I want my earrings to stand out, enhance the wearer but be comfortable to wear.
Silver chains are so versatile. I wear one every day. I tend to make quite long chains with big links. Again, I hammer them carefully, so the silver catches the light.
My dear Dad once said...
"Duibhne and I work together one day per week, and she's very charming, kind and generous. And patient - sometimes!" he laughs. "I think her work is marvellous, and it is such a delight for me to hear the hammer going in the studio again."(from an interview we both did with the (Irish) Sunday Independent, 2008)
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Duibhne Gough, N6View more details
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Duibhne Gough, Sea glass and silver necklaceView more details
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Duibhne Gough, Semi-precious stones & silver necklaceView more details
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Duibhne Gough, N2View more details
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