Jenna Rowe grew up in Tasmania, where she studied Architecture at the University of Tasmania in Hobart. But long before undertaking ‘serious’ studies, Jenna was always passionate about making things, designing and crafting. During her masters year at uni, she started a personal blog as a side project, and this, in combination with her popular instagram account has given her a platform to share her various creative side projects, including her small range of striking handmade necklaces.
‘I’ve always been fascinated with material properties, I think this stems from studying architecture’ says Jenna, whose first brass necklace was made as a birthday present for her sister. After sharing this simple creation with her followers instagram, Jenna’s necklaces became rather popular! She now makes and sells her two v-shaped designs in both copper and brass.
Last Christmas, Jenna’s family got involved. ‘I had mentioned how fiddly it was to fold the necklace at the exact midpoint of the V’, explains Jenna, so her Dad and Grandad (a former aeronautical engineer) promptly decided to revolutionise Jenna’s production process! ‘Both my grandfather and father are outrageously technically proficient, both have amazing workshops’ says Jenna. The very next day, they had created a customised ‘crimping jig’ for Jenna!
Jenna’s Dad now hand cuts and polishes the edges of the lengths of metal for each necklace with an angle grinder in his workshop, and sends them up to Sydney. ‘He is ‘subcontracted’ to me, and was requested to be paid in wine!’ says Jenna! The final assembly of each necklace is then completed by Jenna in Sydney.
We love these necklaces, but we also love Jenna’s amazing eye for all things beautiful, refined and minimal… her blog is well worth a look, and we also love her boards on Pinterest!
