The name “Letter to Me" was born out of my own personal experience.

Have you ever written a letter to someone you care about while travelling?

In my early twenties, I went on a trip on my own to Spain. When I arrived in Bilbao – my first stop – I wrote a letter to myself addressed to the address in Korea.

When the letter arrived a month later after I returned to Korea, I almost had forgotten about it and was initially surprised before I could recall it was me.

The letter showed my feelings mixed with excitement and a bit of worry I had at the beginning of my trip. When I read the letter, I felt like I was taken back to that moment that was two months ago, alone in a remote place without friends or family.

“Letter to Me" is my hope that my jewellery will give you that experience as well. A precious memory, a little bit of excitement, or a surprise event that will brighten up you or special someone's day.

My name is Jane and I live in Hamilton with my partner and two cats. I work full-time as a Café Worker and part-time as a Jeweller.

I am from South Korea and I majored in Bachelor in Metal Art and Design including jewellery making. At the time, my work was mostly to do with larger metal objects such as furniture, lighting and body ornaments.

After graduation, I started my career as a Jewellery Designer in Korea, but I had to quit because it had too much to do with 3D design and I preferred to have crafting experience as well.

I have a lot of respect for all the jewellery designers in the world.

This experience made me realise I prefer the hands-on process of making jewellery.

My second job was also a Jewellery Designer, but this time, I had to make prototypes of my designs by hand before they went into production. I loved the job and worked in the same business for more than three years, but eventually I felt like I was in a rut and needed a new challenge.

In 2020, I decided to step outside of my comfort zone and come to New Zealand on a Working Holiday visa.

I planned to stay for a year, but my whole plan changed due to COVID-19 and meeting my current partner, I decided to live in New Zealand. 

After we settled down in Hamilton in 2022, I started looking for a bench jeweller job. While I was job hunting, I met a local jeweller who kindly let me use his workshop when I am free.

Since October 2022, I have been going to his workshop on Sundays to use his equipment and tools until I could build up my own little workshop.

I started my workshop with a plastic portable table and some basic tools. I practiced and developed bench skills by watching Yotube videos after work on weekdays. On Sundays, I would go to the local jeweller's workshop to practice with advanced tools, as well as getting advice on dealing with some of the challenges I faced.

When I decided to start my own business, the first thing I did was choose a brand name and design my logo. Then I created an Instagram account and posted a photo of my my bench in August 2023.

4th of November, I went to the local artisan market where I have sold my first jewellery to someone.

Thanks for reading about me, I know this is a bit long, but I wanted to tell you about who you are supporting and the person who makes the lovely jewellery you are interested in!

Letter to Me proudly utilizes sterling silver exclusively for its silver products. Our sterling silver is procured from Morris and Watson, a renowned distributor in New Zealand's jewellery realm. We also source chain links from Morris and Watson, along with other trusted suppliers throughout New Zealand.

Letter to Me takes pride in crafting its silver products entirely in New Zealand, ensuring that your purchase directly supports the local jewellery industry.

We source all other consumables, tools, and equipment from New Zealand-based businesses, including G&A Warburtons and Regal. Only a small number of heavy tools have been procured from South Korea, and packaging materials are sourced from China

I design jewellery that I can create that motivates me to turn it into a final product.

Typically, my jewellery creation process involves design and manufacture. However, there are instances when the materials themselves inspire the design while I am fiddling with them on the workbench. At this stage, I'm primarily focused on simple, fundamental designs that align with my available equipment and tools. As I transition into full-time jewellery making, I envision offering a broader range of products incorporating more intricate designs, utilizing 3D printing and casting techniques.

If you want to see how I create jewellery on the bench, check out my Instagram.