Meet the Maker - Tamara Gomez

This week we interview Tamara Gomez for our 'Meet the Maker' series. Tamaras work is characterised by the use of glossy raw diamonds and glittering diamond slices. Drawing on insiprations from ancient relics and decorative items, she creates beautiful, contemporary pieces with an organic, textural style.

"Rooted in creativity and artistry, Tamara Gomez designs bewitching fine jewellery for anyone who feels a connection to the magic and beauty of the earth." 

When did you start creating jewellery?

"1997 when I graduated from the Royal College of Art after completing an MA in Goldsmithing and Jewellery."

Who inspires you the most?

"I love the jewellery of Alexander Calder but not directly influenced by him, but appreciate the craftsmanship, tactile and sculptural quality that his jewellery has."

What was the inspiration for the rings in the exhibition?

"To continue to evolve my use of raw diamonds and diamond slices in the jewellery I design and make."

Please can you tell us a bit about your creative process?

"I sketch and craw a lot and that often inspires the jewellery I make. I have a very intuitive approach to how I create and am often inspired the most by the materials and techniques. I really enjoy using traditional materials and techniques in an idiosyncratic way, be it setting diamonds directly into molten metal or using diamond slices and gemstones and drilling into them."

What’s next for your creative practice?

"I am in process of reviewing my current collections and making them more cohesive in terms of what I can offer my clients. I am also keen to explore the use of lab grown gemstones more in my work like lab grown diamonds, rubies and sapphires as they are inexpensive to work with, allowing one to be more creative when designing and making jewellery."

What is your favourite piece that you’ve ever made?

"So far it is a rough diamond ring with 9 uncut diamonds arranged in the shape of a square at the top of the ring. It was a real labour of love to make and I learnt a great deal from making it." 

Finally, for fun, what would be your dream piece to make or person to make for?

"A rough diamond necklace using only rough diamonds and gold chain. It would be a fun but decadent take on a knotted pearl necklace. I have already tried some samples pieces and experimented with some samples for this concept, but it needs more work and refinement."

Tamara's rings are available to view and purchase either online or instore.

The RING Exhibition runs until 30th April and  features the talented works of; Sarah Brown, Corrinne Eira Evans, Isla Gilham, Tamara Gomez, Faye Hall, Jessica Jue, Josef Koppmann, Lynna Maclachlan, Francesca Marcenaro, and Mark Newman.