The Atacama desert in Chile is a canvas of otherworldly beauty - a mesmerizing mosaic of sun-scorched earth, shimmering salt flats, and surreal rock formations sculpted by the winds over millennia. As a native Chilean, jewellery designer Maria Manola Toro still feels the pull of this awe-inspiring landscape from over ten thousand miles away, in her Crouch-end based workshop. She has crafted an ode to the driest place on earth in the form of a fine jewellery collection.

Consisting of rings, pendants, and earrings, Atacama features yellow gold and stones in warm, earthy tones to reflect the arid desert colour palette, whilst geometric shapes, textured milgrain and pave setting capture its rocky, irregular terrain. The collection will be among those debuting at Shine 2024, the Goldsmiths’ Centre’s annual exhibition and training programme for jewellery designers showing great promise at an early stage in their career trajectory.

Maria Manola’s Artistic Roots and Discovery
As a child, I was lucky enough to be surrounded by a family very interested in the arts. My mum, my grandma and my grandpa all painted and drew with different mediums, and they all had a very personal style. I was always drawing, collecting little things, and using glass pieces to create art projects. So I think I've been carrying this interest in objects and attention to detail my whole life. I’m always amazed by textures in nature and different techniques in art, design, and architecture.

I studied design for a year in Chile and when I finished, I had two mornings where I could fit in jewellery classes. I didn't know if I would like it, but in the end, I loved it, and I taught myself the wax carving technique. When I was younger, I also could never find any rings that fit my thin fingers. So, I guess one thing led to another, and the experience of making wearable tiny pieces with my hands that could mean so much to someone else, felt like magic. You can see how someone's mood changes or how they glow when they're wearing a piece of jewellery that represents them.

Introducing Atacama: A Collection Inspired by Chile’s Desert Beauty
The collection I've been working on for Shine is called Atacama, a collection of desertic geological finds. Atacama is still Chile’s desert and the driest in the world. It draws inspiration from the vast dry soil landscapes, the architecture in the Andes peaks, the cracked, salty texture in the salares and the warm colour wasteland in the soil and minerals.

The collection features rings, pendants, and earrings crafted in nine and 18-carat yellow gold, showcasing earthy neutral tones such as champagne, salt and pepper, yellow and white diamonds. You can also find some pops of green in small pieces that evoke the minimal local flora. Pave settings and milgrain details at depth and a rich texture throughout the collection, much like the dried soil or the salt flats in the Atacama desert. I imagine that each piece in this collection is a little find from this place.

All the pieces of this collection are made in yellow gold to reflect the warm colour palette of the Atacama desert. I've also been working with pave settings in a more drastic way. The pieces have bigger grains and milgrains, so you can see a bit more of the metal. I love the texture that you can get from mixing different gemstone shapes and colours. So they create a tiny composition that evokes nature and you can wear every day.

I work with a setter, but I create the composition and choose where the colours will be located in the piece. The stones are all so unique, you have infinite possibilities to make a one-of-a-kind piece.

Significance of Being Chosen for Shine
Being chosen for Shine makes me feel really proud of the work I've been doing and the pieces I've been creating. Having my work recognised in a market as big as the UK and specifically the Goldsmiths’ Centre, a place with so much history in the jewellery-making industry, is really incredible. Where I come from, the jewellery market is quite small, so there aren’t many opportunities like this one.

Defining Design Style
I would describe my style as a collage of shapes and textures that will bring you closer to nature. In the rocky shapes that I create, you can find geometric, organic forms inspired by volcanic landscapes and stone collecting. With these compositions, I try to find harmony in the beauty of imperfection. I generally create one-of-a-kind pieces, but sometimes I’ll adapt one design by playing around with different stones.

Design Process and Inspiration

I usually start sketching, but mostly by sculpting the wax directly - I like that you can make a model and visualise the general piece from all its angles quite quickly. Wax is a really nice, forgiving material. If you make a mistake, you can correct it just by adding more material. I love improvising with the wax and trying to find a balance between the gemstones and the Geas.

I take inspiration from everywhere - from architecture, from brutalism and all these huge buildings you can see around London, and from walks in the park. I take photos more than I sketch, write notes, or keep my ideas in my mind.

Favourite Creation: The Atacama Faceted Signet Ring
My favourite piece is the one-of-a-kind Atacama faceted signet ring, where you can find a simple design with a plain faceted band in the back, contrasted against this textured rustic pave setting in the top of the ring. So this texture is made with different diamond shapes, most of them one of a kind, and reminds me of the dry soil and the warm colours that you can see in the Atacama Desert.

Anticipations for Shine 2024 and Future Plans and Goals
What I'm looking forward to about Shine is meeting people who are passionate about jewellery, from makers to customers. I would like to hear how they connect with pieces, their stories and their experiences. I want to meet my peers.

I would like to present my new collections to more galleries in the UK, and have the courage to give my jewellery more exposure, showcasing my work in different locations, applying to markets and fairs. I think I also need to stop being afraid of social media and start getting out there. I have an idea for my next collection, as I’ve been working at Tomfoolery Jewellery so I’ve been able to see first-hand what the customer is looking for. I’d like to adapt my specific style to a more sellable collection. So my next collection is going to have a mix between more detail, more traditional jewellery and my own style.