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Behind the Bench

Meet Louis: From the Matthew Ely Workshop to the WorldSkills Stage

Meet Louis. You may have spotted him (or his Art Deco-inspired designs) in the Matthew Ely Workshop & Boutique. But did you know he's also an internationally recognised jeweller, recently invited to Shanghai to design the jewellery test project for WorldSkills and help judge the competition?

WorldSkills is held every two years and covers dozens of trades, from carpentry to floristry to hairdressing. A bit like the Olympic Games of the trades.


Front of Louis’s Art Deco feather pendant on a jeweller’s bench pin
The front of Louis’s feather pendant.

The Challenge

Louis’s brief was to create a piece that the world’s best young jewellers would build in just 22 hours over four days. He chose an Art Deco-inspired feather pendant, a nod to his French heritage and a motif that has appeared in jewellery for thousands of years.

"I wanted the back to be beautiful, as much as the top," Louis explains, so he gave the reverse its own design too.

Louis spent hours and nights on the design. He then built the piece himself in around 15 to 16 hours, to be sure apprentices could finish it in 22.

"They're the best competitors in the world of jewellery at this age. You have to challenge them."

Intricate reverse of Louis’s Art Deco feather pendant
The reverse of Louis’s feather pendant.
Louis examining a competition piece at WorldSkills in Shanghai

From France to the World Stage

Louis knows how tough the competition can be. He's been on the other side of it.

Back in 2019, Louis represented France at the WorldSkills International Competition in Kazan, Russia, after winning the French national title. He finished eighth internationally and first among the European competitors.

It was through WorldSkills that Louis first made connections in the Australian jewellery industry, leading him to Sydney and the Matthew Ely Jewellery workshop just two months later.

Seven years on, he’s an integral part of the Matthew Ely Jewellery team, known for his distinctive creative eye and love of intricate Art Deco designs.

Louis is quick to credit Matthew's mentorship for shaping the jeweller he has become.

"I've learned everything of the trade with Matthew," Louis says.

"He's taught me so much about the finer details of jewellery-making, but also about thinking creatively and finding the best way to bring an idea to life. There's always something new to learn."

Louis at the Matthew Ely workbench with jewellery and his sketchbook

The Human Touch

What Louis loves most about jewellery-making is the craft itself.

"I like the human touch behind any work," he says. "I like to think about something, how to make it, the problem solving, and trying to aim for the best quality possible," he says.

“If I can attach a memory or an emotional value for the customer to the piece, it’s even better.”

It’s a philosophy at the heart of Matthew Ely Jewellery.

Next time you’re in the boutique, be sure to say bonjour!

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