10:51a.m. 1st September 2008

| Hayley Nissen

A Salia creation: turquoise and red coral necklace, $190.

Nothing make an outfit stand out more than a well-designed and interesting jewellery statement piece.

And friends Sally Free and Lia Plasier have magic hands when it comes to creating knockout designs.

Their jewellery-making business, Salia Original Jewellery, began in July last year, but just a couple of weeks ago the friends held their very first launch.

“We had a good turnout,” Sally says. “We were really happy with how it went.”

Sally says the aim of the launch was to change the dynamics of the business, so that the jewellery is stocked in local boutiques. “We’re trying to get it (the jewellery) into the boutiques now. We’re wanting to step it up a bit and show people what we’re doing.”

Sally and Lia use a large range of beads in their pieces, sourcing them from all over the world in order to create an eclectic collection.

“We go to a lot of the bead and gem shows. Our silver comes from India and our pearls are mostly from China,” Sally explains.

Their latest pieces meld gold and silver with pearls and semiprecious stones.

They have also been busy creating bridal pieces – a market that is sure to take off.

“We go with what people are looking for at the time,” Sally says.

The girls’ creativity usually comes just by looking at a stone and using it as a creative starting point.

“The stones give you the inspiration to create,” Sally says.

“We just go with our gut feelings on the designs and it seems to be working.”

Salia Original Jewellery

www.saliajewellery.com.au