"My grandfather had a big loom. He’d sit in his rocking chair and make big blankets, or he’d just crochet. So every birthday, you’d get a knee rug or a jumper or a doily. He was a doctor, but he’d also garden and paint and make things. He was a really gentle soul. 

I must have been three or four when he started to teach me watercolours. When he passed away, we found this big manila folder and there must have been around 100 paintings in there. We went through it, all us grandkids, and we picked one each. We learnt that he only signed the ones that he really liked, so I got this watercolour painting with his signature. It’s nice to have a piece of him in my home. I get a little bit of my creativity from him I think. I also have his signet ring, with his initials. My grandma gave it to me so I sized it down. 

I grew up in Auckland and my grandparents lived up in Warkworth, so I’d see them most weekends. All my other cousins were in Australia or America or down south, so I was the one who spent the most time with him. He passed away nearly three years ago. I’m not a super sentimental person, but these two objects are really special, just because he was so special."

What does sentimentality mean to you? 
"If it’s a sentimental object, the effect that it has to evoke memory or emotion. Something that you can hold dear, to remind you of someone or a time or a special place. If you lost it, you wouldn’t necessarily lose that memory but it would be quite sad. You need things in front of your face to remind you. I also love being able to make jewellery pieces that mean a lot and have sentimental value for my clients. It’s very special to make things to mark special events and occasions." - Hannah, Te Whanganui-a-tara/Wellington (Interview: Chloe Mason) Find her: hannahcrossjewellery.com