Tales of love & life: Julia & Gaye Storey

We recently had lunch with jeweller Julia Storey and her mother Gaye Storey. They have shared a common passion for jewellery since Julia was very young. Both wear treasured pieces every day – precious mementos of their lives past, present and future. Here they tell us their story.

A cherished piece of jewellery can hold so much meaning and significance – and it’s generally not just tied to the wearer. Look a little closer and you’ll find stories of love, strength and adventure.

When Julia was still in high school, Gaye recounts that the two would happily trade a lunch date for a visit to the high-end jewellery shops on Collins Street. Hours spent admiring gorgeous gems and stones at Makers Mark and Paspaley cemented their life-long passion for jewels … long before Julia knew she would become a jeweller.

In her 20s Gaye adored travel and made two trips to Madagascar, bringing home precious gems bought from local gem traders. Some, she says, went missing on the way home, but others survived the trip and have been made into cherished adornments.

Gaye is incredibly fond of her ‘Faith. Hope. Spirit.’ pendant, a piece made especially for her by Julia, following her recovery from a serious illness. “Faith, hope and spirit got me through this illness,” she says.

Julia has hand-engraved these words into the piece which features a set of white and rose gold circles. These surround a stunning peach-toned Spessartite garnet which was bought by Gaye on her second Madagascan adventure.

“It’s special for me, as it’s a nice little bit of my youth.” Loving the weight of the piece and its everyday beauty, Gaye says she wears it constantly, only taking it off when she does the gardening.

Like her mother, Julia wears her milestones with much grace. A beautiful Art Deco-inspired engagement ring sits on her right hand (where it has room to shine and breathe); it tells the story of her recent wedding to her husband, Dan.

When Dan proposed he gifted Julia the central stone, a cushion cut vivid Ceylon sapphire, sticky taped to her finger. Sensitive to her craft, he left it with Julia to choose her design.

Sitting on Julia’s left hand is her finely crafted wedding band, made using variegated tones and alloys of yellow and white golds studded with baguette cut diamonds.  Both pieces subtly capture her identity as a jeweller, and a naturally stylish woman. 

Browse Julia Storey’s jewels, and explore bespoke commissions for someone special.

 Photography by Heather Lighton.