Marielle Estelle

Marielle was born in Montpelier in the south of France. As a young child she always loved creating things and knew her direction in life had to be in Art, in making beautiful pieces. At just 32 she had travelled to New Zealand, Spain and the US where she learned how to make glass jewellery with the lampworking technique (joggling with liquid glass into a flame).

In her typical way, she began pushing her creative boundaries, wanting to learn more and gain more experience. She returned to Paris to study at AFEDAP (contemporary jewellery school) for two years, learning all aspects of jewellery making. She gained her Diploma and learned more skills by working with different jewellers.

She returned to New Zealand and had the privilege to share studios with well-known jewellers Peter McKay and Nick Feint. All these experiences allowed her to create exquisite and distinctive work, combining a French style with a hint of Aotearoa.