I have only ever bought jewellery for the special people in my life from Janine at Scarab. Many times I have acquired one of Janine’s personal designs which are always so unique but what I love the most about Scarab is their ability to create something tangibly beautiful using nothing more than an image I have in my mind. From a diamond encrusted teddy bear to a pendant representing a slice of bread (long story!) and everything in between, Janine doesn’t just create jewellery she creates special moments and memories. For me one of the most cherished pieces of jewellery Janine helped bring to life was a necklace we designed for my daughter, Olivia, on the occasion of her 18thbirthday. She was just about to finish matric and leave home to go study in the Netherlands – for a besotted dad, a very hard thing to come to terms with!

I wanted something that was not only beautiful (in an age appropriate yet timeless way) and suited her personality but something with meaning. Janine created a beautiful pendant for the necklace which was the North Star (Polaris) representing her new chapter in the Northern Hemisphere. Additionally, before the advent of modern navigation, for centuries the North Star had been used by sailors to navigate their way across unchartered waters into the unknown and I loved this symbolism as well.  Although I would not be physically present to guide her anymore, her necklace would be a reminder that I would always be there for her. The piece had a beautiful peridot in the centre to match my daughter’s green eyes and a small diamond on each of the corners. To this day Olivia has not removed the necklace and it is very special to both her and I.