That said, staying creative is not always easy. There’s a constant expectation that designers should be endlessly inspired, but the reality is that running a business can be exhausting, and burnout is common in our industry. Most of us turned our passion into a career, but passion can’t be forced. Katie is still learning to recognise her limits when she needs to pause, step back, and let her mind reset. When she feels stuck, she takes out her collection of gemstones and starts playing with different colours, shapes, and textures. This small act helps Katie break out of repetitive thinking and opens her up to new ideas.

Entering the JAA Australasian Jewellery Awards is something Katie always looks forward to, because it allows her to create pieces outside of her everyday commissions. But this year was different she was burnt out and unmotivated. One afternoon, Katie was idly arranging diamonds with no plan, when they fell perfectly alongside an emerald, resembling a crocodile gliding through calm water. The contrast against her black shirt was striking, and she knew immediately that she wanted to bring it to life in a dark metal. Even though entries were due in just a month, that spark reignited something in her, and she decided to go all in.

Winning this award has been more than an achievement it’s been a reminder of Katie’s versatility and the importance of stepping outside her comfort zone. Fear of failure holds so many people back, but if you create with heart, there is no failure. Success isn’t defined by a panel of judges; it’s found in the satisfaction of following through on your vision.

Finally, this piece wouldn’t exist without the incredible skill of her setter and teacher, Stephen Webb of Standout Stonesetting Academy. His craftsmanship elevated her design beyond imagination and for that, Katie is endlessly grateful.

You can find the 2025 Contemporary winner, Katie at Katie Law Jewellery. 

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Contemporary Award Winner | Caiman

Description |  Like a caiman waiting for prey just below the surface of the water, a Colombian Emerald sits just above a cascading tail of tightly set step-cut diamonds in a heavy tantalum band, with a crescent sleeve of 18ct gold.

Motivation |  European jewellery houses have always dominated the world of innovation and excellence in high jewellery, and I’ve always admired the unconventional materials in which they excel. This piece is a personal challenge to test my boundaries of design and technique in bold materials, and though it was intensely difficult I enjoyed the exploration and R&D of this concept so much. In pushing my own technical and creative limits, I wanted to combine rarely-paired (for good reason) metal with a juxtaposing delicate and valuable emerald, with one of the most difficult sets of diamonds to tightly fit corner-to-corner, resulting in a piece that combines sculpture, engineering, and ornament.

Materials | Yellow gold | tantalum | Colombian emerald | Diamond

Setter: Stephen Webb