Greetings from van Walraven Goudsmid

Greetings Everyone!!

Meet the newest member of the Jewel Envy family, Peter van Walraven (me). I'm very excited to begin my journey as a professional goldsmith here. I guess this is where I give a little introduction to myself and how jewellery became a passion of mine, the birth of van Walraven, Goudsmid.

Like many young teens and adults, upon graduating from high-school I had no clue what I wanted to do as I was torn between arts and sciences. I had a born talent for the arts but I also had a burning curiosity for earth and space sciences. I chose earth sciences and proceeded to graduate from Laurentian University in 2011 majoring in geology; I followed the money. After 5+ years traveling/working to remote locations like Greenland, northern Ontario and Northwest Territories, I found myself still painting, drawing and creating to fill that artistic void.

In 2015 it hit me, I needed to create art, but I wanted to also share what I had learned about our little rock, Earth. The epiphany came to me that winter, that gemstones were the link between the two domains of my life. In 2016 I enrolled with the Canadian Gemmological Association and earned my place as a certified gemmologist (FCGmA) and soon after I enrolled in the Jewellery and Metals program at Georgian College. Now three years later I can proudly say I am a certified goldsmith, graduating best in class and in show from Georgian College Graduate Goldsmithing and Silversmithing Certificate program. I finally found where art and science became one for me.
 

I want my work to not only say it all, but also explain it all. I know with jewellery the story is as precious (if not more precious) than the material within. I want my patrons to be able to understand the stories of the stones and metals they wear. Seriously, it is mind-blowing when you realize what you wear may be older than Earth itself. My style is all about duality and versatility, something you can wear in a professional setting, or not. I draw inspiration from my experiences working within the Earth Science sphere along with graffiti and concept artwork. However, I draw the most inspiration from the story. This is why I enjoy commissions. It is a real treat to be a part of someones special story, and to be able to help make a visions into something tangible and adored.













 If you made it far in reading this, thank you (First blog post here). I am both ecstatic and humbled to be here within this colourful community, and I hope to be able to share what I have learned with everyone here at Jewel Envy.

Cheers, Peter van Walraven 
Check out more at
@pt_raven my Instagram
Facebook page for van Walraven Goudsmid is coming soon.

PS - Goudsmid is goldsmith in Dutch... as you can probably tell from my last name, its where my roots lead too.