Hahei local Meg Auth, creates art jewellery using found objects, stones and gems set in precious and non-precious metals which provide a reminder or connection to the sea for the wearer. Primarily a self-taught jeweller, Meg initially gained an art degree from the University of Notre Dame (USA), with a focus in printmaking from etched metal plates.

The Mercury Bay Art Escape features a number of artists who work and exhibit in other countries as well as New Zealand. Meg and her husband Jerry have divided their time between Hahei and Indiana for over twenty years now and Meg’s initial draw to the Coromandel area was her love of the sea. Meg crafts her jewellery in a tiny Hahei studio with a stunning view across to Mahurangi island. Living by the sea provides an endless source of inspiration for her work and when not in her studio, Meg is often swimming, kayaking and sometimes fishing. “I am in love with nature and am happiest when in, on or near water”. This immersion in the beauty of the Coromandel coast has influenced Meg’s work to incorporate shell, kelp, fish and other sea life themes as well as natural rock and sea patterns.

Meg believes the natural beauty of the Coromandel draws many artists from New Zealand and abroad to live here, “I actually feel more creative here.”

According to Meg, being a jeweller is similar to a tool and dye job and visitors to her studio can observe how she is both creative and mechanical when working with metals, saws, grinders and acids. Finished pieces are displayed in her studio and shows how Meg shapes precious and non-precious metals, stones and other materials to imbue them with meaning.

The Mercury Bay Art Escape over the first two weekends this March is an opportunity to visit Meg’s Hahei studio, see the artist at work and buy a unique piece of Coromandel jewellery.