Description
Jeweller: Tracy Gilbert
Tracy is a Dublin-based jeweller with a huge grá (love) for creating contemporary jewellery that captures the essence of Ireland and its people’s connection with the sea, earth and Atlantic Ocean surrounding the Emerald Isle. Transforming traditional Celtic symbolism, Irish culture and heritage into distinctive pieces of jewellery is at the heart of her creations.
Sites like Newgrange, Loughcrew, Tara directly influence her jewellery designs. As a child, she was in awe of how Newgrange allowed the light to shine through its chambers on the winter solstice to spectacular effect. Through combining precious metals with translucent materials, she attempts to recreate the magic of Newgrange to allow the light to shine through her pieces to reveal Celtic spirals (triskele). This can be seen in her Growing Home and Children of Lir coloured collections.
Tracy has an emotional connection with Irish folklore and is inspired to create collections that tell a story. Each collection has a meaning that resonates with the wearer. A story card explaining the meaning behind the design comes with each piece.
Each piece is meticulously crafted in Ireland with love of Irish roots, history and folklore.
Tracy’s Growing Home collection depicts Ireland as a tree of life with deep, strong and enduring roots. It has stood strong throughout numerous hardships but continues to grow and give shelter to new and existing generations. This collection is inspired by the strength of the Irish spirit. When you rotate the pieces you see the strong tree of life image transform into the map of Ireland.
Her Children of Lir collection shows two swans entwined to form a heart, symbolising Love & Dedication. The Children of Lir is a famous Irish mythical tale in which four sons and daughters of the King of Lir are transformed into beautiful singing Swans. The children have beautiful singing voices and as swans they continue to sing and delight audiences that come to view them on the lakes they live on. The spell cast on the 4 siblings leaves them as Swans was only broken after 900 years. The story has many iterations and variations in endings and circumstance. In a generally accepted version after the spell is broken the siblings before they die of old age are christened so that there names can live on in eternity as the Children of Lir.
These beautiful pieces thus symbolise love to each other whether they be from relative to relative or lover to lover the two Swans entwine to make a sentimental and everlasting dedication.
