I'm Mari Thomas, a jeweller, goldsmith and artist, and I've been making jewellery for more than thirty years. I design every collection myself, from my own gallery and workshop in Llandeilo, in south-west Wales. I didn't come to this in a straight line. There were years working in libraries and council offices, and years selling pieces from a shed, sowing seeds quietly and hoping something would grow. Slowly, doors began to open. What I make now are collections meant to be worn and lived in, each piece with a story to tell.

Long before any of that, I had an art teacher, Norman Davies, who shaped the way I see. He would ask me the same question again and again: why? Why that mark, why that line? He gave me a questioning eye that has never left me, and this is behind everything I design. Sadly, he has passed away, but that one question of his, "why?" still guides my thought process, whether it is a collection of work or a commissioned piece, for me it has to have meaning.

Along the way I've been honoured with a number of design awards, including both the Gold Medal for Craft and Design and the Craft and Design Award from the National Eisteddfod of Wales.

In recognition of my contribution to the arts in Wales, the University of Wales Trinity Saint David awarded me an Honorary Fellowship, which meant a great deal to me.

Over the years I've been trusted with commissions from Wales's leading cultural institutions: BBC Wales, the National Eisteddfod of Wales, Wales Millennium Centre, the National Library of Wales and the Prince William Cup for the Welsh Rugby Union.

The Prince's Trust is especially close to my heart. They helped me set up in business when I was first starting out, and I'm still friends with my very first Trust mentor to this day. When the Trust decided to make a presentation to the then Prince of Wales now King Charles 111, I was proud to be chosen to present a pair of my cufflinks.

My pieces are also in many private collections of people whose work I admire, and I have been commissioned to create jewellery that was presented to artists like Catherine Zeta-Jones, Daphne Guinness, Michael Sheen, Bryn Terfel and Sting. There are more familiar faces on my As Seen On page.

My work has been featured on the pages of Vogue, Tatler and Hello. I've been fortunate to exhibit in London, Tokyo, New York, Dubai and Melbourne, and twice in London at COLLECT - the leading international fair for contemporary craft - where I was represented by Design Nation and First of March.

In 2017 I bought the old Castle Hotel in the heart of Llandeilo and made it my gallery and workshop. It's a calm, friendly place with lighting set to show at their best my collections alongside the work of artists I've specially chosen. You're always welcome to visit. Come and see us in Llandeilo.

In 2019 I graduated from the Goldman Sachs 10KSB programme at Saïd Business School, Oxford, and I have been made a Fellow of Design Nation. It matters to me that we can show that artistry and craftsmanship can work successfully as a business in Wales.

My collections are where my own designs live, but every so often the special pieces are those made for an individual. If you'd like to talk something through, or simply to say hello, I'd love to hear from you.

Call me on 01558 660001 · email info@marithomas.com · or come and see me at 113 Rhosmaen Street, Llandeilo, S. Wales SA19 6EN.