Artisans Bespoke Jewellers: An Exploration of Colours and Contrasts in Sydney

I would like to think that I have been immersed in the world of jewellery for long enough to have a sixth sense about certain things, especially when a designer genuinely loves what they do. It’s present not only in their demeanour, but in every single piece they create. Meeting Tammy Keers, the Founder of Artisans Bespoke Jewellers, reminded me of this fact on my recent trip to Australia. From the moment we sat down in a high-rise building in Sydney, her passion and enthusiasm were infectious! This energy isn’t something you can fabricate; it’s either a part of your soul or it isn’t. Looking at her jewellery, I can see how it translates into colourful creativity that tests the boundaries of jewellery design, too. Here’s a snapshot from our inspiring conversation…

Based in ‘Paddo’, otherwise known as Paddington, just a few miles west of Brisbane, Artisans Bespoke Jewellers is a company that specialises in fine jewellery and bespoke commissions. At the heart of the business is the belief that jewellery crafted by hand should be cherished for generations. But what truly sets the brand apart is its Founder, and her fearless approach to colour. While many jewellers who work with coloured gemstones gravitate towards large, statement stones, Tammy’s signature style is bringing together smaller gems in unexpected and bold combinations. She ambitiously mixes contrasting colours like pinks, yellows and oranges in a single piece, putting vibrant spinels alongside multi-coloured sapphires. Her pieces feature bright greens and oranges together, which might be shocking to some. However, for her legion of collectors, these pieces are almost entirely irresistible.

Firstly, let’s jump back in time for a moment. Tammy was just 17 when she began studying for a Bachelor of Jewellery Design in South Australia. After a four-year apprenticeship, she moved to Queensland and began working with a jeweller in Brisbane, although the desire to open her own studio was always at the back of her mind. When she finally took the leap, Tammy worked from her garage for three years, eventually moving into her Paddington boutique, where she has been for more than a decade. Her one-woman operation is now a solid team of eight, bolstered by significant award wins (Jeweller of the Year at the 2023 JAA Australasian Jewellery Awards and winner in the Open Prestige category at the 2024 Australian Opal Awards), and an official ‘Proudly Australian Made’ licence. Her pieces are manufactured on-site by professionals with almost 150 years of combined experience. It is all these factors combined that helped secure a place for Artisans Bespoke Jewellers in the Diamond Guild of Australia – an association of industry leaders and changemakers.

So, back to my visit! After a few hours spent exploring jewellery, I made my verdict: Artisans designs are playful, sculptural and full of personality, with stones set on various levels to create a three-dimensional effect. Tammy also embraces transformability by adding gemstone drops that can be removed from pendants or earrings, allowing the wearer to dial down the eccentricity for a quieter occasion. Here, we can really see how Tammy and her designs are so intricately connected… her personal style is colourful (at our meeting she was wearing a bright dress adorned with flowers and butterflies), so she is the perfect model and advocate for her own work.

Among her high jewellery and fine jewellery ranges, there are occasional bursts of Art Deco inspiration, but also a strong thread of natural themes. The award-winning Khroma ring, for example, features a 3.45 carat cabochon-cut crystal opal from Lightning Ridge, New South Wales, surrounded by delicate, petal-like arrangements of sapphires, spinels, garnets, zircons and diamonds, all set in 18k yellow and white gold. Elsewhere, there are some surprising pieces, such as a handmade, diamond-set Kangaroo leather and suede clutch bag (winner in the Diamond category at the 2023 JAA Australasian Jewellery Awards) jointly created by Tammy, jeweller Kathy McLay and leather smith Stella Petrou. The piece was called Amelia, after the first female pilot to cross the Atlantic, Amelia Earhart.

Now, armed with this context, I would like to share with you some of the highlights of my conversation with Tammy below. I may have travelled many hundreds of miles and for countless hours to land ‘Down Under’, but it was certainly worth it to meet such inspiring and joyful creatives.

Katerina Perez: Your trajectory from a working jeweller to a business owner is inspiring. What was the process like establishing your company and what were the challenges?

Tammy Keers: It’s hard in our industry in Australia because most jewellery shops are generational. It is hard to start a business from the beginning by yourself with no capital. But I did it. I started in my garage, just doing my own work and trade work. Then I opened my first tiny little shop, which was three metres squared, like a bedroom in an old Queenslander [traditional Australian timber home]. I had my bench in the front where you could look through the window and see me, plus a consultation table and two showcases. I would be making pieces and serving at the same time. Then, I had our first fabulous client, a wonderful lady who came in and was super stylish. She commissioned me to make something, which was the first ‘big’ thing I ever made. She was happy and came back every few months, supporting me, challenging me to get better, and she’s a big reason why we were able to grow.

KP: How did your business evolve from there?

TK: We moved into a much bigger store – thirty square metres – and over 12 years we grew the team to six. But we were on top of each other, with three benches and three sales staff, so we needed to expand. Now, we’re in a big shop with a sizeable workshop and a big retail space. It’s a very feminine space, very pretty, and it’s welcoming for anyone who comes in. You can also see the workshop from the street, which is a prominent feature.

KP: You mentioned that when you first started putting colours together, people thought you were crazy! What happened to push you in this direction?

TK: When I first started combining colours, my team looked at me and said, ‘You’re never going to sell this’. Yet there was someone who bought it straight away! I think so many Australian jewellers are too scared, thinking we don’t have a market for it, but we’re finding our own niche. There are people everywhere who want to break boundaries and have a strong sense of style; it's just that before they didn't know about you, and now they do.

KP: Would you say your style is now quite recognisable?

TK: Yes, I feel we are quite well known now in Brisbane, and we have our fan club. When our clients are out and about, they'll spot a ring and ask if it's an Artisans ring, and they say, "Is that a Tammy ring?" I think we've got a distinctive style; I always say it's a modern take on Art Deco, but the way we put colour together, no one in Brisbane is really doing that. We're known for our colour combinations.

KP: You mention Art Deco, but I can also see organic shapes and themes in your work. Does this represent a natural evolution of your design style?

TK: I did a Bachelor of Jewellery Design degree in South Australia straight out of high school, and at first, I nearly dropped out because I hated the first two years. I found everything really difficult, especially the design studies subject where we had to go into a room and draw objects and then keep changing that drawing five times, and then keep changing it again, and by the time you'd changed it, you'd have to turn that into a piece of jewellery. I hated that process, but now I realise that process taught me to do what I do, and it taught me to keep pushing and not settle until you've got the balance right. So, I think that's my superpower: always having lots of ideas. Even when clients come in for consultation, I'm always coming up with an idea on the spot.

KP: Is drawing still part of your design process?

TK: Yes, my creativity is rooted in drawing. Sometimes I start with the gem colour first, and the design will come from the colour, but for diamonds, I'm always starting with a drawing. It's more of a sketch until I narrow it down, and then I'll start drawing properly. Sometimes I'll have a sketchpad close by at home in front of the television at night because something will just come to me and I'll have to draw it.

KP: You’ve mentioned colour combinations. What is your process for building these compositions with different minerals?

TK: I'll sit for hours with all the colours in front of me, sticking and moving stones around. Even when I think I've got it right, I turn a stone over and realise I need a slightly different pink, so I just keep going. I'll do it for hours like meditation. We're lucky, we have suppliers who will leave lots of smaller stones, so I can just play around. That's my happy place.

KP: Your designs have a really strong sense of balance and proportions. How important is finding this equilibrium to you?

TK: It’s very important. For example, a huge butterfly in a design won’t necessarily work, but similarly if it’s too small, that won’t work either. You need just the right size, which comes from experience and education. I started university at seventeen, did my degree, and then did an apprenticeship straight after that. The degree was probably more art-based and contemporary, but I knew my jewellery skills weren't good enough to manufacture those pieces, so I did an apprenticeship and brought the two together, combining traditional techniques with a more contemporary style to develop my own approach.

KP: Your collections contain pieces that blend well together but don’t technically match. Is this an intentional choice?

TK: Yes, I find that if you make pieces too matchy-matchy, the aesthetic is too eighties. When you put it all together, it works, but they don't necessarily match, and that's something we've been developing. There's nothing worse than a sapphire ring and a sapphire necklace and a sapphire bracelet. It's just very basic. If you don't have imagination, you do that, but if you have imagination, you do something different. What ties them all together are the stones and the colours, not necessarily the shapes.

KP: When it comes to creating bespoke orders, how much input do you accept from your clients? Is it challenging finding the right balance between pleasing them and staying true to yourself?

TK: The perfect client is the one who trusts you, can see the passion, and knows that I've taken the time to listen to them and understand their story. I tell them to leave it with me, and sometimes I'll get it right straight away, but for bigger pieces it might take a little longer to come up with the perfect idea.

Meeting Tammy reminded me of why I fell in love with jewellery in the first place. It is not just about precious metals and rare gemstones; it’s about the people who pour their souls into their craft, who see the world differently, and who have the courage to translate that vision into something tangible and beautiful. Tammy is one of those rare individuals who refuses to play it safe. Her colours are bold, her combinations are fearless, and her designs are unapologetically joyful.

If you ever find yourself in Brisbane, I urge you to visit her pink ‘Paddo’ boutique and watch her team of jewellers at work through the windows. You may soon find yourself drawn into a world where colour reigns supreme.