Jewels and Journeys

What is Sterling Silver in Jewellery? If you love jewellery (and you must, if you follow me!) chances are you know of sterling silver. It’s one of the most popular and versatile materials used in crafting beautiful pieces, in my case pendants and earrings. What exactly is sterling silver and what makes it so special … Continue reading “What really is sterling silver?”

Discovering the Charm of Antique 1800s Era Buttons!Let’s take a stroll back in time to the 1800s, an era brimming with charm, elegance and intricate craftsmanship. We’re diving into the world of antique buttons, those small yet significant pieces that adorned garments and added a touch of personality and style to everyday attire. Whether you’re … Continue reading “1800’s Era Antique Buttons”

Renée Blackwell Jewellery Design has a new look and feel after undergoing a “Soft Re-Brand”.The purpose is to make your online experience better, easier and more fluid while exploring the treasures on the website. We have updated the logo as well as introduced a new pearl logo which reflects the exciting, expanded pearl collection. Additionally, … Continue reading ““Same Only Better!””

When was the last time you truly stepped outside your comfort zone, and undertook a whole new project or direction in life? In the past few months, I’ve done just that, and here’s the story. In 1977 I stared my university life at a small college in St. Paul, Minnesota, far from where I was … Continue reading “University Adventures!”

I grew up riding and still love all things horse related. My childhood horse, Shenandoahwas a beautiful chestnut coloured Quarter-horse, which I adored. I attended a wonderfulriding camp every summer, my entire childhood, into early adulthood. Over the yearsI have ridden a bit here and there, including hiring a guide to ride with me at … Continue reading “Out of the jewellery studio, and on a horse!”

I’ll admit to being late to the pearl lovers community. For over 30 years of creating jewellery I’ve used everything from gemstones, semi-precious stones, gold, silver, copper, antique & vintage buttons, ceramics & porcelain, up-cycled & found items, wood, glass & crystals. It wasn’t until 6 years ago, when I along with hundreds of other … Continue reading “Pearls, Gems of the Sea!”

When I was about 12 years old, my Mom surprised me by saying I could redecorate my bedroom with the colours of my choice, and I was thrilled. I sat down with a box of crayons, and made my own colour swatches, combining a variety of colours I thought looked good together. After several days, … Continue reading “Colour!”

The small town of Yowah, Queensland is home to the annual Yowah Opal Festival, an event I had longed to attend for many years. With international travel off the radar for the foreseeable future, we thought this was the perfect time to venture into the great Queensland outback. I had also wanted to create a … Continue reading “Yowah Opal Festival & The Great Queensland Outback!”

Travel…What’s That?There was a time, not so long ago (pre-Covid), when I traveled a lot. I come from a long line of travelers, grew up traveling with my family and it’s in my blood. As the years passed, I continued on my own, traveling the four corners of the world. When I started creating jewellery, … Continue reading “Falkland Island & the Penguins!”

For over 30 years I’ve created jewellery. Literally thousands of earrings & bracelets, hundreds of rings and pendants and assorted “other” goodies to adorn the body. I’ve sold these at markets, home parties, to friends and family and at one stage, we were in 144 jewellery stores around Australia. I now sell exclusively online. When … Continue reading ““Connections””

March 8, 2021 I last visited London five years ago. At that time we visited every button, antique, haberdashery, rock and gem shop available. Spending every single moment, of every single day (ten days in all) sourcing treasures to work with in my jewellery creations. I had heard about the London Silver Vaults, but had … Continue reading “London Silver Vaults”

Feb. 17, 2021 Walking thru’ life… I asked my Facebook followers a few days ago “what do you do for exercise?” I received a few answers, which consisted of “a bit of this, a bit of that” with many just saying they try and stay active, which we all know is better than nothing.Me? Well, … Continue reading “Jewels & Journeys”

Jan. 27, 2021 Welcome to the first installment of “Jewels & Journeys with Renee”. It’s hard to know where to start. The beginning of my jewellery journey, the years in the middle, or what’s happening currently in my jewellery world. I have customers who have been purchasing my designs almost from the day I started, … Continue reading “Welcome to Jewels & Journeys-First installment!”