The wood
I hand-carve my pieces individually, using some of the most beautiful hardwoods from around the world. But what I enjoy the most is working with the variety of native Irish timber (yew, oak, willow, wild cherry, ash, blackthorn & holly are sustainably and locally sourced), the ancient bog-wood, as well as some gorgeous exotic wood (rosewood, ebony wood, mahogany, to name a few.)
I honor these rare and valuable woods by creating unique pieces and because I believe in eco-friendly hardwood practice, I use (and recycle) the off-cuts from musical instrument constructed by a local luthier as well as sustainably sourced Irish materials.
To preserve and protect the natural beauty of your piece of jewellery, the wood is carefully oiled and waxed by hand. This process not only enhances the wood’s luster but also adds a layer of protection, ensuring that your piece retains its splendor for years to come.
Bog-wood comes from ancient forests that once covered Ireland. Huge oaks and yew trees have been buried in peat bogs and preserved from decay by the acidic and anaerobic bog conditions, sometimes for hundreds or even thousands of years. The wood is usually stained by tannin dissolved in the acidic water (black for the oak and a lovely brown for the yew). Bog-wood represents the early stages in the fossilization of wood, with further stages ultimately forming lignite and coal over a period of many millions of years.
Bog-wood is a rare form of timber that is claimed to be comparable to some of the world’s most expensive tropical hardwoods.
During the nineteenth century bog oak was used to make carved decorative items such as jewellery and also in the construction of Royal palaces throughout Europe.