About Us

Cara & Rhiannon

Rhiannon had started her career in the sciences, but a chance visit to an exhibition of Ancient Celtic art changed her life entirely. Celtic art was relatively unknown at the time, and was not studied in schools and colleges, but some spectacular archaeological discoveries had recently shed light on the life and culture of the Celtic peoples across Europe. In Rhiannon’s own words, “This wonderful artwork was obviously a great ‘ethnic’ art, just like that of Egypt or Greece, but it was our own ethnic art. To me it was strangely familiar, incorporating visual symbols of all the beliefs, traditions and legends that are part of Welsh culture. I realised how lucky I was to have grown up speaking a Celtic language, sadly lost now to most of the people of Britain, and how the visual art could still convey much of our heritage without the use of words”.

Rhiannon decided there and then that she wanted to continue in this artistic tradition, not copying ancient artefacts, but creating new work within the same conventions. She had no training in metalwork, but set about teaching herself to make jewellery, while at the same time working with other skilled makers to design ‘Celtic’ craftwork in stone, wood and clay. In May 1971, our shop on the square in the tiny market town of Tregaron was opened for the first time to offer the resulting products to the public. The objective from the first was to present Welsh and Celtic culture to non-Welsh speakers through fine art and craft. We are still here!

The Shop/Y Siop

Now, after more than 50 years, Rhiannon’s jewellery has become the best known and the major part of the business, especially her exclusive designs in Welsh Gold, a very rare and precious metal mined in the Welsh hills, with which Rhiannon has been closely associated since the 1980’s. The shop premises have expanded and now include Art Galleries, a Celtic Art Museum displaying genuine ancient artefacts, with a personal interpretation by Rhiannon, and viewing workshops where the jewellers can be observed at work. Rhiannon still designs and makes much of the jewellery, while her assistant Annabel has developed her own speciality as a skilled craft jewellery maker and repairer, working with high quality diamonds and other precious gemstones.

A Family Business/Y Teulu

All four of Rhiannon’s children have taken part in running the business at various times, and she now has seventeen grandchildren.