I came into making jewellery and teaching late in life, although making silver jewellery has been a hobby for some time it wasn't until I hit my very late 40's I changed my career from catering management and took myself off to Bucks New University and got a degree in product design, specialising in fine metal work. To make ends meet I taught cooking, jewellery making, up cycling and product design in a PRU school and have been teaching everyone from 9 to 90 (yes I mean that) as well as exhibiting my work, doing craft shows and running classes. Like a lot of more mature people changing career I found it scary and life affirming, often thinking I was 'too old' and had nothing to offer an ever changing world. However whilst at uni I discovered that even we oldies had so much to offer our peers and other generations and my work echos this with overlaid textures peeling away to reveal treasures of natural gemstones or mirror finishes reflecting our own image back at us. Often there are hidden elements that only become clear when you get closer to see highlights of gold or other more hidden gems. I believe jewellery needs to be interacted with, played with and to represent who we are and often that is by getting close, talking and looking beyond our surface and then celebrating our differences and all we have to offer to each other.