STORIES FROM THE SEA AND SHORE

Marion Miller was born in Sweden, and trained as a jeweller at Sir John Cass Faculty of Arts in London, graduating in 1997. After running her first business, Mermaid’s Purse Jewellery on the west coast of Scotland, she took time out to have her children, before established her current business, Marion Miller Jewellery, in 2013, in Orkney.

Marion’s jewellery reflects the stories and natural beauty of Orkney. She uses the coastline as an endless source of inspiration and spends hours combing the beaches for shells and sea glass. She is constantly amazed by the treasures the sea brings up and the stories they tell.

Marion explained, “Take a piece of sea glass for example. Where did it start off? How old is it? How did it end up in the sea? Whatever you pick up on the shore has a story to tell and I want to share that concept in my jewellery.”

Marion designs and makes her jewellery in her studio on the family farm in Stronsay, where she warmly welcomes visitors. Her signature collection is her Wave rings range, which she started making as a student. Inspiration for this range comes from the lines in the sand when the tide goes out leaving pebbles, shells and sea foam in the tideline.

Gemstones are another passion and many of her pieces are set with ethically-sourced, semi-precious stones, while some of her latest work incorporates vitreous enamel featuring seabirds, landscapes and life under water.

She also does a very popular range of enamelled sterling silver hearts in all shades of blue, turquoise and green and calls them ‘hearts from the sea’.

Marion says: “A personal connection to my customers is very important to me — through my jewellery they get a small piece of my world to treasure and keep forever.”

Marion Miller Jewellery is available from The Longship in Kirkwall, Waterfront Gallery in Stromness, and online at www.marionmillerjewellery.com