Emma Cotton - Artist - Jewellery

Margaret River jeweller Emma Cotton grew up in Karratha in an artistic environment, her mother being a ceramic artist. Emma’s passion for metal has evolved from working for a wrought iron artist as a trade assistant where she created furniture and balustrades, to fine tuning that talent into jewellery making. Emma has also studied Gemmology.

Emma Cotton - Artist Biography

I have lived and worked as a jeweller in Margaret River for eight years. My love of jewellery started at a young age looking at my grandmas hands she had a gold ring for every finger sometimes two. I have been around art all my life growing up in Karratha in the Northwest of Western Australia. My Mum was a ceramic artist, she had a workshop down the backyard where she locked herself in and created. That is now what I do with metal. In 2003 I worked as a trades assistant to a wrought iron artist using a coal powered forge steel and big...big hammers to create furniture, balustrades and fences. I love being able to push metal to its limits, then heating it and pushing it more. I have worked in the area for local jewellers John Miller and Max Ball doing wrought iron but on a miniature scale with silver, creating wearable objects. In 2009 I gained a Diploma in Gemmology with the Western Australian Division. This gave me the scientific background in the minerals that make up gems, why a ruby is red, a sapphire is blue and why a pearl has a lustre that goes on forever. I feel I have done my job as a jeweller when someone enjoys wearing the piece that I have created.