I joined Spend with Us as I wanted to support a local website who was encouraging regional Australian small businesses to get out there and show how creative they could be, with many of these people needing to change their hobbies to full time businesses or even reinvent their businesses due to the ravages of drought, bushfire, flood and the pandemic.

My name is Julia Rigney and I am the owner of Emily Poppellwell Jewellery.  My business name, Emily Poppellwell Jewellery, comes from a great, great, great grandmother of mine whose fascinating life story I have written and is available to read on the below link:

Emily’s Story

I started my business as a hobby in 2013 selling pre-made Murano Glass jewellery at local markets.  7 years ago, I started using Murano glass beads to make my own jewellery as I wanted more style variety and colours.  Around 18 months ago I moved to using handmade artisan glass beads from Australia and other countries all over the world including United Kingdom, France, Greece, Latvia, Russia, Canada, USA, Mexico and Italy with many of these artisans affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. 

All of the beads are made by hand in the artisan glass studio’s and due to this and how I make jewellery, each item of jewellery is unique and is not and cannot be made again.  Some of the beads are specifically made for me so you will not see them anywhere in the world except as that single item of jewellery from me.  I only buy beautiful, good quality and unique beads which are creatively out of the ordinary.

I use sterling silver, silver plated, enamel coated or stainless-steel components and many of the sterling silver components are handmade by me.  Other components such as crystal & crystal pearl beads are all genuine Swarovski made beads.  Memory wire bracelets are designed for ease of use for putting on any size wrist with two different size bracelets.  Pendants hang on sterling silver chains, silk cord, rubber tubing or platted cord.

I am self-taught and come from a creative extended family with my Father, Mother, Aunts, Uncle and several cousins all being creative souls with my mother having had many art exhibitions.  I live in Toowoomba with my husband and youngest son.