A Project Won and Managed by KDMC
This is the article written in Stuff by Francesca Lee in November 2013 talking about the Special Project that placed our client into the hands of the PM and then onto Queen Elizabeth II at Balmoral that year.
“Months of work for a group of Christchurch jewellers finally came to fruition when they saw their creation pinned to the Queen’s jacket.
Joachim van Oostrum was stunned when he discovered Queen Elizabeth II had worn the brooch to a reception for Commonwealth nations’ representatives at Buckingham Palace on October 28, pinned to a jacket matching the colour of the blue pearl that was from Canterbury pearl farmer Roger Beattie’s personal collection.
“It’s awesome for a goldsmith to be able to say, ‘I made a piece the Queen is wearing’,” said the Christchurch jewellery designer and goldsmith, who spent months working on the design.
“I was nervous when making it. You realise at one point that the whole world is going to see what you are making and a lot of people are going to talk about it.”
The brooch looked even better than he thought it would, van Oostrum said.
It was presented to the Queen by Prime Minister John Key during his visit in September.
Van Oostrum, who makes most of the jewellery for the Blue Pearl Gallery in Akaroa, did not even know the piece was meant for the Queen when he was asked to submit some designs for a brooch.
“When we realised it was for the Queen, Khymne [D’Arcy] from Eyris Pearls did a lot of research into the brooches that she wore to special occasions,” he said.
D’Arcy said it was a “long process”.
“We are absolutely delighted to see her wearing the piece. It’s quite an honour to see her wear it so quickly.”
Beattie, who has been farming blue pearls in Akaroa since the mid 1990s, said when he discovered the piece was for the Queen, nothing was good enough but the best.
He sent up five pearls from his personal collection and Key selected the one he liked best.
The pearl, now named Aotearoa’s Pearl, is a green, gold, and pink pearl, although it also contains blues and purples.
Beattie harvested it in 2006 after seeding the paua three years earlier.
“It was fantastic to see her wearing it. There were hoots of enjoyment and laughter here when we saw the picture,” he said.
Author
Francesca Lee
Stuff NZ
