All items by Imaginaries Handmade Jewellery

Silver, gold, gemstones, made into jewellery to last forever.

My name is Karen O’Reilly. I make all my jewellery entirely by hand, in a kitchen workshop, using traditional techniques and tools, and the best quality raw materials.

I started my jewellery making journey a few years ago and it remains a fascinating and wonderful hobby, and a complete distraction from my daily life in an entirely different role.

My business is small and bespoke. I like to be in personal contact with my customers where possible. So, please text me, or find me on Instagram, or email me. I usually respond quickly or will let you know if I am away.

Many Imaginaries Handmade Jewellery items are unique or limited edition. No mass production, no factories, no sweat shops.

The word imaginaries invokes inspiration, aspiration and desire. It is also about creation. The name Imaginaries is borrowed from sociology, where the notion is used to invoke how a place, a concept, a social group – a piece of jewellery – can mean something over and above its instrumental use value. To give an example, a car will get you from A to B, but it can also say something about the person driving it. A fast car says you are the sort of person who embraces danger. An economical car suggests you care about the environment, or at least about your finances. When you decorate your home, you choose colours with which to express yourself or to create a mood. It is the same with jewellery.

I won’t bore you with more about this but a recent book on the topic of imaginaries is worth a look. It is called Dreamscapes – referring to the shaping of dreams.

The Guild of Jewellery Designers Member No. 5356