Meet ANAY - Melbourne based artist, jewellery designer and qualified gemmologist since 2008
My work is an exploration of gemstones, materials, shapes and ideas. Some pieces begin with a carefully considered design, others with an unexpected combination or a moment of curiosity.
With a background in gemmology and a lifelong love of creating, ANAY is where technical knowledge meets artistic freedom.
No fixed style. No rules to follow. Just the freedom to create.
My journey into jewellery making began at just 11 years old, when my great aunt Chela, a well-known artist in Argentina, taught me the art of creating jewellery by hand.
What she shared with me sparked a love of making that has stayed with me ever since.
This blue table was one of the first pieces of furniture my parents owned when they arrived in Australia. It was our family kitchen table, and years later, it became my first jewellery workspace.
I spent countless nights here experimenting with gemstones, working with wire, practising techniques and developing the skills my Tia Chela first introduced me to.
Long before House of ANAY, this was where my ideas began taking shape.
The table is still part of our family today, carrying decades of memories and a very special place in my story.
Sometimes an idea begins with a gemstone. Other times, it's a shape, a colour combination or a design that has been sitting in my imagination waiting to come to life.
I love the process of experimenting, sketching, working with different materials and seeing how an idea develops along the way.
Not everything I create begins with a finished plan. Sometimes the most interesting pieces come from simply allowing myself the freedom to explore.
For me, creating is as much about the journey as it is about the finished piece.
There's something incredibly satisfying about taking individual materials and turning them into something real.
I love the hands-on side of jewellery making. Working with wire, choosing gemstones, finding the right proportions and paying attention to all the little details that bring a piece together.
It's a process that takes patience, practice and sometimes a fair bit of problem-solving. Not everything works the first time, and that's part of the craft.
There's a particular satisfaction in holding a finished piece and knowing exactly what went into making it.
From the first bend of wire to the final polish, it's work I genuinely love doing.
I'm Ana, the person behind ANAY.
I'm a little unconventional, endlessly curious and someone who has never really been interested in fitting neatly into a box.
I'm creative by nature, and that extends into just about every part of my life. I feel things deeply, and creativity has always been one of the ways I make sense of the world around me. Whether it's jewellery, art, design or something completely different, I've always found ways to express myself.
Family and connections are incredibly important to me, as are the stories we carry with us. They're part of who I am, shaping my perspective and the way I see the world.
ANAY is an extension of who I am, shaped by my heritage, the people who've influenced my journey, the lessons I've learned and the experiences that have brought me here.