Kristen Murray – Pearl & Sparrow Jewellery

Kristen Murray grew up in the Durham region and from a young age was always creating. Originally accepted to the Ontario College of Art and Design to study graphic design, she happened upon the jewellery program by accident and was immediately drawn to creating miniature works of art in sterling silver. She switched her focus and graduated from the Material Art and Design program as a jewellery major. To learn about stones, Kristen earned a Gemmology certificate at George Brown College, and was then accepted into a two-year artist residency at Harbourfront Centre. There she sold her work onsite and participated in various workshops and exhibitions offered to the residents. During this time, she was excepted as an exhibitor at the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition and found she enjoyed meeting the other vendors and visitors and being part of the creative energy of an art show. Later, she went on to obtain a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Waterloo, specializing in Printmaking. Her final project involved incorporating relief printmaking techniques into pieces of jewellery which she then printed onto paper.

After teaching art to high school students for a year, then working as a designer for an upscale jewellery store in Toronto, Kristen took time off to raise her two children. Once they were in school full-time, she dove back into jewellery design and participated in a few local craft shows. She then arranged to exhibit her work in Made You Look gallery in the Queen West neighbourhood, opened her Etsy shop, PearlandSparrow, and joined Instagram (@pearlandsparrow). To refresh her skills in soldering and stone setting, Kristen participated in a series of workshops held at The Den – Goldsmith Experience. Now recently settled in Huntsville with her husband and children, she plans to continue creating jewellery in her home studio.

Kristen has been creating jewellery for over 20 years and loves it just as much as the day she started. Experimentation is particularly important to her, and she believes that everyday jewellery should be just as unique and conversation starting as special occasion pieces. Her current work combines her love of colourful gemstones, texture and natural motifs. She is very excited to see where inspiration will take her now that she is among the forests, rocks and lakes of Muskoka.