Discovering my passion for creating jewellery

Welcome to Candide's Garden Blog

As this is my first blog post, I thought I'd start by sharing a bit about myself and how this project came to life. I’m Natalia, the designer and founder of Candide’s Garden.

Since childhood, I've been captivated by jewellery and gemstones. I had a large collection of semi-precious stones, complete with booklets detailing their properties, natural formation, and locations. My friend and I used to make little bracelets with sea shells and beads, selling them during the summer for some pocket money to buy ice creams. Art has always been my creative outlet; my school workbooks were filled with doodles and drawings.

As I approached adulthood, I realised that pursuing a career in art could be challenging, especially in Spain without any contacts in the art world. So, I turned to my second passion: food. I studied hospitality and currently work organising events, a role that also demands creativity and innovation. However, when the global issue (that we shall not name) hit and hospitality was severely affected, I returned to drawing and designing jewellery. I created portraits of family members and explored various artistic endeavours. In April 2023, with the unwavering support of my best friend and partner, I signed up for a weekend wax course to learn the lost wax casting technique. Armed with research and countless ideas, I bought wax, a melting pen, and other essentials to start creating.

After months of constant creation and numerous trials and errors, Candide’s Core Collection was born. Each piece was named after characters in Voltaire’s novel, Candide. Over a year has passed, and I still dedicate my afternoons to jewellery making. What began as a hobby has swiftly become my greatest passion.

The inspiration behind the name Candide’s Garden is explained in the "Our Ethos" section of the website, but briefly, it's derived from my favourite Voltaire novel, Candide. The quote "We must cultivate our own garden" resonated deeply with me, reminding me to focus on the tangible impact we can make in our immediate world. This project is my way of cultivating my own garden. Using the ancient technique of lost wax casting and sourcing materials from local businesses, we create pieces meant to last a lifetime and become cherished family heirlooms.

I didn't expect overnight success, but with hard work and determination, I believe I will reach a community of jewellery lovers who appreciate special and unique pieces. Creating custom designs is perhaps my favourite part of this work. Bringing someone’s vision to life is truly fulfilling. Though content creation has been a learning curve, I’m gradually getting the hang of it.

Recently, I launched my second collection: MIX, MATCH & STACK. As I’m getting married later this year, I wanted to design my own engagement ring and our wedding bands. I envisioned something non-traditional—organic, colourful, and comfortable—resulting in a solid gold ring with abstract shapes and vibrant gemstones. I believe engagement rings should be unique and personal, representing the couple’s personality and love story. The wedding rings and stackers in the MIX, MATCH & STACK collection were born from trials for my own wedding bands. Each piece combines simplicity and organic shapes, making them inimitable and perfect for everyday wear. Given the soaring price of gold, I aimed to create accessible options for wedding bands, offering beautiful designs at reasonable prices.

I’ve gone a bit overboard with this explanation, but I’m truly excited about this collection. I plan to write a blog post each month, or more frequently if there are interesting topics to share. I’ll poll my followers to find out what you’d like to learn about—whether it’s jewellery styles, history, or new techniques—and bring you along on my journey to becoming the best jeweller I can be.

All my love, 

Natalia M.V.