Ever since I can remember I have been a collector.
My parents told me that when I was three, I used to pick up pebbles from the beach.
Stones, gems and rocks always hold a special meaning for me and I'm naturally drawn to them. Throughout my life I’ve always had a keen interest in how things are made, so jewellery, gemstones and found objects have always been a passion (obsession) of mine. I remember at school I used to make beaded jewellery for family and friends.
At one time I thought I wanted to do fashion, as I enjoyed customising clothes and making things from fabric. So I spent a few years at college and even got a distinction in ‘textiles art foundation’, but I was always slinking down to the metal workshops to play with the metals.
Looking back now, jewellery was always my path. I just hadn’t worked it out yet. The moment when it all clicked for me, was that I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I realised that whenever a friend needed help with a confidence issue, or a break up, or I wanted to make them smile, I would make them jewellery or give them a gemstone which matched their needs. So I realised that it wasn’t just about enjoying making jewellery, it was actually about empowering people and making them feel good, which I enjoy even more. How people react when they receive one of my pieces is what is inspiring me to make more.

My partner surfs, that’s his 'obsession’, sorry ‘passion' and it’s one of the reasons we decided to settle in Cornwall, (England). We’re both from Devon (England) originally and spent a few years travelling and living in New Zealand. Cornwall’s beaches are among the best in the world, they also have great waves for
surfing. This suits us perfectly because when there are waves, Jimi goes surfing and I’m scouring the beach for treasures.
I only use the best seaglass I can find, with no chips or jagged edges, although smooth pieces are harder to find.
I love how seaglass is transformed from a man-made object, back to the wonderful freeform nature of a pebble, by years of rolling in the crashing waves. (It only take 100 years or so for it to turn the broken glass into a good piece of seaglass!). The main way you can tell a natural piece of seaglass from a machine frosted one is to check the surface for natural imperfections and variations in the surface of the glass.
My favourite colours of seaglass are the greens, seafoam whites and rare blues. I spend ages selecting only the best for my jewellery pieces. I grade them by size, shape and colour. I also look out for super rare colours like red, dark cobalt blue, cornflower blue, and pairs, which I save for earrings. Although, there are never exact pairs as each piece is as unique as a fingerprint. When I create seaglass pendants I set the seaglass in the silver in a unique way, so the light shines through, just like it does when you find it on the beach.

I love living in Cornwall and enjoy coastal walks to gather inspiration. The textures of the rough rocks and crashing waves.
Cornwall has so much heritage and old fishing villages (some of them are still working now). I love walking the harbours looking at the boats and how they are constructed; love a bit of rusty metal. The mass of ropes, nets and lobster pots. The old cobble stoned walls, twisted seaweed and weathered driftwood.
There’s just so much to feed the imagination here, it’s amazing. I like to take photos of textures, colours and forms. I put the best ones on the inspo wall in my workshop, or sometimes I just dive straight into designing. I also find inspiration comes by looking through my gemstone collection and seaglass. Or sometimes it comes when I’m trying to get to sleep!

When I’m designing I always ask myself “would I wear this?” and if the answer is yes, I go for it, if not, I know it needs tweaking. It’s a good way of making sure it’s from the heart.

When I was thinking about what I wanted my jewellery to represent I realised that the name needed to encompass the values of the people who wear my pieces and reflect my style too. Something which inspires and empowers people, that they can identify with. Fierce yet feminine. Wild and rustic, yet sentimental and classic.
I did some soul searching and remembered my Great Grandmother’s name “Grace Baskerville”. It reminded me of the famous story of “the Hound of the Baskervilles”, based on Dartmoor in Devon, where my family originates. I liked how it was wild and mysterious. This helped me design the logo, with the help of my partner (who is a graphic designer). We sketched out a hound to represent the fierce wild Baskerville legend and combined it with wings to represent the female, feminine Grace element.
Grace Baskerville jewellery is made from the heart to help empower you, inspire you to follow your dreams, to remind you that you are strong and good things can come into your life.

Thank you for reading my story. I look forward to hearing yours