Atlantic Reef Necklace

The Atlantic Reef, silver pendant necklace, made on the Isle of Arran by Jess MacDonald Brass

'Atlantic Reef' takes its inspiration from the movement of water through a living coral reef. Fluid strands of silver move around small gathered forms, an artistic interpretation of currents passing through coral and the life held within its structure.

The design began in my earlier Edge of the Reef work, but learning more about the cold-water coral reefs beneath Scottish waters brought the idea much closer to home.

A reef is never simply a collection of individual things. Coral creates shelter, water carries what life needs and countless creatures live within the spaces between. Perhaps there is something in that for us too. Life is always moving, but there is strength in the ways we support, protect and make room for one another.

The story beneath the piece -
Cold-water coral reefs lie off western Scotland, including near Mingulay in the Outer Hebrides. Unlike the tropical reefs we tend to picture, they grow in cold, dark water, where tidal currents move across the reef carrying food to the coral and other marine life.
That movement is at the heart of the Atlantic Reef necklace. Flowing silver suggests the water passing through and around the reef, while the gathered forms represent the coral and life growing amongst it.

Not a literal copy of what lies below, but an impression of a living place where movement, shelter and community are all connected.

My jewellery is individually hand-crafted or made in small batch production which is hand-finished - this is reflected in the final finish of each piece. This means that it will not be the same as machine made or mass-produced jewellery. Instead, it gives each of my designs a special artisanal touch.