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It’s no secret the Old Bus Depot Markets loves jewellery. We’re so excited about our upcoming Jewel of Canberra event that this month we’re throwing the spotlight on Alan and Ann from Jewellery Inspirations – a wonderful stallholder that creates stunning pieces with semi-precious stones, both those unique to Australia, as well as stones sourced from abroad.

Alan has always admired the jewellery his family and friends would wear. So 20 years ago, when looking for a career change, he began designing jewellery of his own, fuelled by his passion for mineral composites. Alan’s style is unpredictable. He prefers to combine different shapes, sizes and colour to form his unique pieces, describing this as his ‘3D art’. Each piece is an evolving artwork, with Alan adding interest to each inimitable necklace, earring and bracelet from beginning to end.

Alan begins each item with temporary strung beads and then combines them with tiger wire or sterling silver— as well as his imagination — to produce his stunning creations. His bestselling stone, the Rainforest Jasper, is formed in volcanoes and can only be sourced from two locations; Mount Hay in Queensland or the Pilbara in Western Australia. The Rainforest Jasper stone is a type of Rhyolite. It is deep green in colour overall but contains many variations of the shade.

Alan’s favourite stone would have to be the Mookaite. Found in Mooka Station, Western Australia, the Mookaite has a broad range of colour variation and interest, and more importantly looks perfect set in sterling silver and worn, for all to see. The beauty of jewellery design, says Alan, is in the evolving nature of the work. He loves that his pieces often seem to design themselves and almost always turn out differently to what he had first envisioned.

Alan and Ann’s colourful range of necklaces, bracelets, pendants, charms and earrings are all handmade and all unique, available every Sunday at the Old Bus Depot Markets.