Our Story

Magpie Maven was started by a mother and daughter duo who care about great design and sustainability. Our journey is just beginning.

Why the magpie? First, they are my constant companions in the morning, waking me by clattering and pecking away at my eavestroughs and harassing the neighbourhood cats. They are beautiful, loud, brazen, and brave. I have a cherry tree in the back yard that they love. Most days I find cherry pits lined up in a tidy row along the top of my fence, and it makes me smile.

Second, there are tales of magpies who snitch jewelry and odd shiny objects and hide them away. Some researchers claim to have debunked this, but I do like a good story and I doubt the magpies will care if we continue to believe.

Finally, the collection of stones and jewels we work with came from a jeweller and silversmith in Victoria, BC who we only know as Maggie. We never met, but working with her collection feels intimate. She collected intriguing objects. Odd fossils, sea glass, intricately carved Japanese netsuke. I think of Maggie as a magpie spirit. The contents of her studio came to us the day we wandered into a bookbinder's shop and there's a story in that . . . .

And so we play with our lovely shiny things. All our creations are made from genuine semi-precious stones and natural materials, unless, of course, we happen upon something intriguing that we simply must snitch and bring home. But we will tell you about it if it finds its way into something you want to carry back to your own nest. We hope you delight in our creations as much as we do.