ABOUT TARA LOIS
An award-winning Designer, Goldsmith and Silversmith, with a Degree in Jewellery and Metal Design, Tara's awards include a Goldsmiths’ Craft and Design Council Award, a Goldsmiths' Centre Award for Excellence in Craftsmanship, two 1st Prizes in the Maltese Smart & Sustainable Business Awards and recognition as Malta's Emerging Maker.
Her work has featured in international magazines including British Vogue and Vanity Fair as well as at international exhibitions such as Munich Jewellery Week and London New Dessigners.
ABOUT TARA LOIS
An award-winning Designer, Goldsmith and Silversmith, with a Degree in Jewellery and Metal Design, Tara's awards include a Goldsmiths’ Craft and Design Council Award, a Goldsmiths' Centre Award for Excellence in Craftsmanship, two 1st Prizes in the Maltese Smart & Sustainable Business Awards and recognition as Malta's Emerging Maker.
Her work has featured in international magazines including British Vogue and Vanity Fair as well as at international exhibitions such as Munich Jewellery Week and London New Dessigners.
Early Beginnings
At the age of 14, Tara Lois did a week of work experience with an artisan jeweller near Toulouse in France which confirmed her passion. She was hooked.
The jeweller invited Tara Lois back for the summer where he taught her how to carve jeweller's wax to create her own designs.
She recycled stones and gold from broken jewellery to make a stunning cast pendant. Tara Lois' first experience of repurposing materials has fuelled her interest in using sustainable materials ever since.
Tara Lois studied Art, Design and Sciences at the Old School France, while her summer holidays were spent attending short courses in jewellery.
She learnt Computer Aided Design (CAD) for jewellers, and Silversmithing, at world-renowned jewellery schools including the School of Jewellery, Birmingham and the Glasgow School of Art.
Tara Lois’ training in design and traditional jewellery skills
Tara Lois was offered a full bursary by The Goldsmiths’ Centre in London as one of only 10 students asked to join their 1-year Foundation Programme.
She was taught by leading experts from the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths covering design, silversmithing (making small silver objects), enamelling, chasing (hammering out designs), engraving and stone setting, gaining City & Guilds qualifications in Jewellery Manufacturing.
Tara won a prestigeous Goldsmiths' Craft and Design Council Award. Known as the Oscars of the Jewellery World, most goldsmiths never receive this accolade in their entire career.
The Goldsmiths' Centre also awarded Tara an Excellence in Craftsmanship Prize for her silver enamelled trinket box and spoon.
Her next step was to study for a BDes in Jewellery and Metal Design at DJCAD at the University of Dundee.
The 3 years flew by and Tara Lois experimented with modern and smart materials, contemporary and traditional designs, techniques including 3D printing, laser cutting, casting and enamelling.
She often designs hidden meanings into her jewellery using textures, sounds, movement, light, colour, kinetic elements and interchangeable parts.
Tara Lois has taken short courses including a polishing course with Steve Goldsmith who has polished the British Crown Jewels, plique-a-jour enamelling with Geogina Follett, who has pieces in the V&A Museum collection, a De Beers diamond training course and was taught filigree making by George Farrugia, a master in filigree making in Malta.
