Qualifications
AJP Accredited Jewellery Professional studying with the GIA (Gemological Institute of America).
How long have you been at Gemporia, and how long have you been a presenter?
“I have been with Gemporia for over a decade, and my first show was nearly three years ago!
“It’s true what they say: ‘Time flies when you’re having fun’.”
What is your earliest Gemporia memory?
“Sitting and watching my sister Alexandria Hayden’s show on GemsTV many years ago with my two younger siblings.”
What is your favourite gemstone and why?
“For me, Grandidierite comes in first place, with Csarite being a close second. That being said, my favourite gemstone I own would be a Ceylon Sapphire that I had my eye on for years before I purchased it.
“I am not drawn to Sapphires, so for this particular stone to have captivated me for so long was something special.”
Who do you admire the most and why?
“It might be a bit cliché, but it would be my mother and father.
“What they have accomplished as a team, with moving their small family around the globe and starting from very little - I hope to be a fraction as successful.”
What is your favourite place in the world and why?
“Michigan City, Indiana. It’s not where I was born, but I consider it my hometown. It is where my mother is from.
“The low moan of the train horn, the crisp freshness of Lake Michigan in the air, the local cuisine - my memories come flooding back every time I return, and it’s bliss.”
What are your guilty pleasures?
“Strangely enough, the Garden Centre! I like caring for plants - you get out of them what you put into them. I’m there all the time!”
What is your favourite concert that you’ve been to?
“I enjoy the Opera, however if we are talking concerts it would have to be Teedra Moses. The energy was indescribable.
“Jazz cabaret feel with a soul singer that sounds better than her recordings. Good music is more important to me as opposed to a big budget operation.”
What can you not leave home without?
“My glasses and hand sanitiser.”
What was your dream job growing up?
“Honestly, I never knew what I wanted to do. I went to university for Law then Animation Design. I never considered working with gemstones even though I had been collecting since the age of three or four years old!
“I guess you could say fate led me to my dream job.”
What is your favourite piece of jewellery and why?
“I couldn’t possibly narrow it down to just one! Two that are in the running would be an Aztec Turquoise Silver ring of my late paternal Grandpa Bill.
“Another would be the Gold Italian Cornicello pendant of my late Grandpa Joe.”
What advice would you give for choosing a piece of jewellery?
“Depending on the intended recipient, I am a firm believer in that it’s the thought that counts.
“However, when choosing for yourself, never let your penchant stop you from falling in love with a new gemstone.”
What quote/motto do you like to live by?
“Try and do at least one good deed a day, and hopefully it will become contagious.”
