Self-taught silversmith, Georgie Dell, launched her business ‘Makoha’ during the peak of Melbourne’s COVID-19 lockdowns. Inspired by the coastal environment of the Mornington Peninsula, the 21-year-old uses an array of pearls, opals, shells and gemstones in her diverse collections. I sat down with Georgie to chat about the jewellery-making process, as well as the establishment of Makoha, while she created a ‘Dotty Pearl Ring’, one of her most popular pieces.
Despite a vast number of Australian businesses closing down due to COVID-19 restrictions between 2020-21, many online businesses were able to flourish during the pandemic.
The number of businesses in the ‘Online Jewellery and Watch Sales’ industry has increased by 6.1 per cent on average per year in Australia over the past five years, according to a report by IBISWorld.
The report indicates the number of businesses in the industry has risen from 294 to 396 between 2017 and 2022.
The increase may be attributed to the possibilities the pandemic offered for people eager to start a business, particularly in the digital market.
For Mornington Peninsula-based self-taught jeweller, Georgie Dell, the lockdown gave the 21-year-old a unique opportunity to launch her online business ‘Makoha’ in 2020.
While unable to continue working as a full-time high-ropes course instructor due to COVID-19 restrictions, Georgie decided to instead follow her creative passion.
“I don’t think Makoha would even exist if I wasn’t given all that free time to do silversmithing during lockdown. When I lost my job, I was feeling super motivated to get something positive out of all the bad that was going on in the world. I’ve tried to make a positive out of a negative, and so far, it’s worked out really well for me,” she says.
With many Victorian’s limited to online shopping, the young jeweller says, “it was the best time to learn something new”.
However, like many small businesses across the state, the inability to move beyond the online market also proved to be a limitation.
“The only downside was that I wasn’t able to get as much exposure as I could’ve because I couldn’t apply for any markets or travel very far,” Georgie says.
Now, as lockdowns in Victoria have seemingly come to an end, Georgie is looking forward to the future of Makoha.
“This summer I’ve applied for as many markets as I can on the Mornington Peninsula. I’m also about to start wholesaling to a shop in a few weeks which is an exciting new step. If that all goes smoothly, I’d love to stock my jewellery in a few more shops, maybe even go interstate.”
Georgie says the flexibility of owning a business, as well as the portability of her tools and products, is one of the most appealing aspects of her work.
“I’d love to eventually take my tools on the road and maybe travel around Australia or up the coast. That way I can apply for markets and still earn an income whilst also getting some new exposure.”
(Featured image: A collection of rings made by self-taught jeweller, Georgie Dell. ZOE DE KONING)
