A familiar face: finding a model with a personal connection to Simon Barber Jewellery A familiar face: finding a model with a personal connection to Simon Barber Jewellery

A familiar face: finding a model with a personal connection to Simon Barber Jewellery

By Simon Barber

A familiar face: finding a model with a personal connection to Simon Barber Jewellery A familiar face: finding a model with a personal connection to Simon Barber Jewellery

When it came to finding a model to showcase Simon Barber jewellery, it only felt right to go with someone who had a personal connection to our pieces, someone who isn't a professional model, someone who collects and wears Simon Barber jewellery.

Fi O'Meara has known Simon since childhood, so she has witnessed him tinkering with jewellery and precious metals since a young age.

“I sometimes wonder was Simon born with a penknife in his pocket! Since a small child he's always been crafting and creating with whatever he could get his hands on”

Fi and Simon remained friends when Simon went to college to study horology, and she recognises the influence of this practice in his work today. As one of his first customers, Fi has a lot of his earlier pieces in her possession. A lover of the outdoors with an interest in hiking and downhill mountain biking, Fi is well suited to the simple elegant style of Simon's jewellery. Her own personal pieces created by Simon include a necklace made from a chunky piece of rusted metal, and a brooch created from a fox's molar tooth, found by Fi's son in their back garden.

Because of this personal connection, and her appreciation for Simon's style, Fi asked Simon to design her wedding ring – a simple silver band, something she can wear when she goes swimming every day. If ever a friend needs a special present, Fi always directs them to Simon's shop, and many of her friends have had their wedding bands designed and crafted by Simon.

“I can recommend Simon Barber jewellery to anyone who appreciates well-crafted, Irish made pieces. This is jewellery that you can wear every day yet creates a sense of occasion every time you wear it.”