The Jewellery Shoppe

Here is a photo of my Dad in his jewellery shop. The shop was located on Elizabeth St Sydney City, opposite Hyde Park. This must have been in its early days because Dad is looking very 70's, and at the beginning the focus was on lapidary supplies, crystal and mineral specimens. Apparently much of their specimen collection was donated to the Australia Museum.

By all rights I should know a lot about specimens. Mum and Dad were both members of the local lapidary club (I'd fall asleep under the chair at meetings), they owned a mine in Queensland, they used to go fossicking, we had heaps of specimens at home and I remember once being picked up early from school (every kid's dream) to go to the Mining Museum at The Rocks (well at least I wasn't at school).It seems like none of this education has sunk in as I couldn't tell you the difference between agate and quartz.

Resin is the only jewellery that really stands out for me from the jewellery shop days. As a child I remember dad mixing up all the fabulous resin colours and casting brooches in silicone moulds. The bright colours, shapes and unpleasant smells are all easily recalled.

I don't really know why I only really remember a relatively small part of these jewellery years. All I can guess is that perhaps at such an early age my tastes were clear and my future direction was already set.