Coral Covey was founded in 2014 by the Australian jewellery designer, Laura Deakin, while she was based in Munich, Germany studying her Masters of Fine Art at the Munich Art Academy. Laura is an established artist, gold & silversmith, illustrator, designer and maker. She is also a teacher and lecturer at RMIT University in the Gold & Silver smithing Department. Her aim is to create jewellery which is not only environmentally sound, but also gives back to her community. She designs, creates and finishes each piece by hand, with care and attention, ensuring only high quality, well designed and perfectly finished jewellery bears the Coral Covey maker’s mark.
Laura is the sole designer of the Coral Covey collection. Each piece is both original and unique, with Laura working through her design process from conceptualisation and sketching design ideas, to making and refining the finished item. She began by creating jewellery as gifts for friends or loved ones and taking custom order requests, and over time her unique approach has built an ever growing collection which represents both classic and modern designs. For more specific information read the text about each jewellery piece to get an insight into why, how and for whom each jewellery piece was created or arrange a personal consultation with Laura (laura@coralcoveyessentials.com) to discuss your own custom made piece of jewellery.
For a sneak peek inside Laura’s workshop click here.
The Coral Covey studio was first established in Munich and re-located to St. Andrews, Australia in November 2017. The name is the unity of Laura’s two grandmothers, Coral McKissick and Gladys Covey, who were important influences in her life and taught her a great deal about caring for her community and the environment. She sees the sustainable creation of her jewellery as key in making an environmental difference to her field. From the silver she uses to the packaging materials, Laura has ensured that everyone involved in a Coral Covey jewellery piece is dedicated to the creation of fair, honest and beautiful jewellery. Her uniquely designed gift packaging uses recycled materials, while the studio is powered using 100% solar energy. For more detailed information on this read the Ethics & Environment page.
Laura is always creating new and interesting pieces for her expanding clientele, so be sure to check back over the website regularly, check out her Instagram feed and join the Coral Covey Mailing List to get the latest info on what’s been happening in the studio.
Identity
The Coral Covey Stamp
Each Coral Covey piece bears two stamped marks: one is a symbol, and the other is a set of numbers.
The symbol is Laura’s official Coral Covey maker’s mark. A maker’s mark is a stamp that is often placed on the underside of a piece of jewellery. Usually an emblem or letter, it indicates who the maker of the jewellery was. This is extremely helpful when having the piece professionally valued. The Coral Covey maker’s mark combines the oval shape and a fern leaf. The oval is a traditional form common in jewellery, particularly worn by women throughout the ages as a pendant or locket from a loved one. The fern leaf is an ancient plant species that has been on Earth for more than 300 million years. With a deep respect for traditional jewellery and a strong commitment to our environmental responsibility, Laura feels these two forms combine perfectly to represent everything Coral Covey Jewellery epitomises.
In addition, every piece bears a set of numbers. These numbers represent the metal used in the piece. If the piece is gold it will have the number representing the carat of gold in the item. For example, if the item is 18 carat rose gold, the stamp will read ‘750’ – this is the international standard for 18 carat gold.
If the item is sterling silver, it will read ‘925’. It is also Laura’s guarantee that the piece you are buying is made from 100% sterling silver. Sterling silver is the amalgamation of two metals: 92.5% fine silver and 7.5% copper – this combination results in a durable and lustrous metal. To read further information on where she source her recycled/reclaimed sterling silver see the Ethics & Environment page.
Laura is a certified member of The Gold & Silversmiths Guild of Australia. This respected organisation has a comprehensive system of marking precious metal artwork. Guild Members’ names and maker’s marks are permanently recorded and their work can be traced and dated.
