Fostered by the art department of her high school, the jewellery studio became Abigail’s second home during adolescence. This nurturing environment allowed Abigail to develop her talent in working with silver which would become her future career.

Opportunity struck when, unbeknownst to her, a teacher entered an image of her jewellery into a national competition searching for Best Young Jeweller. Winning this competition facilitated an apprenticeship in a Californian art school, and thus provided access to further education.

Returning to New York City, Abigail studied traditional goldsmithing, mastering techniques such as ‘granulation’ and ‘cloisonné enamelling’. These processes are integral to her work today.

Over four decades later, Abigail is based in her studio set in a hayfield in rural Ontario, Canada. Taking inspiration from and using the natural shapes and materials that surround her, Abigail ingeniously juxtaposes them with geometric shapes adding both traditional and diverse materials such as silver and resin.

She sells her creations in local independent galleries and shops as well as in the United States, and shares her skills through mentoring and teaching classes.

Maker's Quote

My work focuses on contrast - of the smooth and the rough, the old and the new, the humble and the precious. Using unexpected combinations - pearls with rubber, plastic with rubies, high-karat gold leaf with dirt and grass, paper with gold, concrete with pearls and silver - I try to create a balance, a new language where the plastic becomes as valuable as the pearl.

Abigail Connell Jeweller

The Process

Every piece of Abigail’s is handmade from start to finish. She lets the material guide the design of its setting, whether it is a detail from a painting by a Dutch Master or a fallen leaf picked up at random. Even a found object such as plastic grass calls out to her to be integrated with a ruby or two, as can be seen in her flowerbox pin.