PurpleJade’s transformative magic
THERE IS just something about the beauty of the right necklace, earring or bracelet that makes a woman glow. Whether your jewellery is an essential when stepping out or an extra oomph to your outfit, PurpleJade by Kemoy Morgan has got you covered.
The 30-year-old goldsmith, who had a knack for creating since she was a teenager, always had an interest in jewellery making and saw a promising future for her interests – fashion and sculpting – by the time she had entered the Edna Manley College of Visual and Performing Arts.
“I actually started making jewellery with seashells and sea glass, but my professional journey as a goldsmith started while earning my undergraduate degree. The introduction to jewellery in my first year was captivating, and although I went
to Edna to be a painter, I chose goldsmith by the end of my first year,” she told Outlook.
Growing up, Morgan could not afford all her heart’s desires, and with her love for art, she decided to start making her own clothing, jewellery, handbags from her mother’s old clothes, and even attempted to make a pair of shoe. She created her own world through fashion.
“I learnt from a young age that fashion has a transformative magic. By the time I got to Edna, jewellery making became a beautiful challenge for me, because it is such a technical medium. Learning the chemistry and physics involved, understanding the properties of each metal and the appropriate techniques needed to achieve my designs, was very attractive, and the allure has remained,” Morgan told Outlook.
PurpleJade, which was founded in 2011, embraces self-expression and embodies daring, bold and perfect conversation pieces that stand out. From conception to packaging, PurpleJade seeks to celebrate that which makes women unique and similar in their differences. Each piece is handmade with keen attention to craftsmanship and details. They also have a warmness that mass-produced jewellery lack.
“It was created ‘For the Individual’. The designs allow the person who wears it freedom of expression. One client has told me she has built a personal connection with her PurpleJade pieces that have become part of her own selfexpression. The designs have been credited with being a compliment magnet,” she shares.
Morgan have produced some unimaginable pieces that, she explains, comes from her experiences with colours, song lyrics, plants, the mood of a poem, the essence of a movie or the architecture of her surroundings.
Being a Jamaican designer and goldsmith, Morgan has mastered the craft of incorporating the Jamaican culture into most of her pieces, celebrating Patois, reggae and the ‘Emancipendence’ festive season.
“I mostly design pieces to achieve a certain mood, and the intention is always for the wearers of PurpleJade to feel empowered, confident, and beautiful in my designs. PurpleJade’s mission is to celebrate the whole woman, but especially what makes her the individual she is,” she said.
Making appearances at House of Clay’s 2017 Queen and Nobles Haute Couture Bridal Collection and Eden Garden’s ‘Patios Expressions’, PurpleJade have made its way into the hearts of many Jamaicans, promising nothing but gorgeous pieces fit to adorn women of with wide-ranging preferences.
If life’s a runway then, surely, PurpleJade’s bold jewellery are the required accessories. Take a look at some of her amazing works of art.