Today we’d like to introduce you to Margeve Horgan.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?

My journey has been anything but conventional. For most of my professional life, I worked in sales and hospitality, where I learned a lot about marketing, client relations, and the dynamics of business. While I’m grateful for those experiences, I never felt aligned with the products or services I was promoting. There was always a sense of something missing. I remember saying to myself, “I’m too comfortable. I need change.” So, I left a comfortable, financially stable career, to travel the world, hoping to find what I was passionate about. For five years, I traveled off & on, feeling professionally lost but discovering more about myself in the process.

It wasn’t until I took a 2 hour “Intro to Ring Making” class on a whim that everything shifted. That day, I fell in love with the process of creating. For the first time, I experienced what it felt like to create with my hands and become completely absorbed in a flow state. A few months after starting to learn the craft, people began asking if they could buy my pieces. That is when I transitioned from treating it as a hobby to turning it into a small business.

However, the shift to thinking of my creations as a commodity to sell brought its own challenges. The pressure to commercialize my work stifled my creativity for a while. I began overthinking designs, caught in analysis paralysis. I’m only now starting to break free from that mindset and rediscover how to tap into my creativity again. It’s been a winding road, but each step has brought me closer to understanding who I am as an artist and what artwork I want to share with the world.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?

It has been a bumpy ride! One of the biggest struggles has been managing all aspects of the business, from sourcing materials to marketing, photography, bookkeeping and everything in between. It can be overwhelming to juggle the creative process with the practicalities of running a business. But I’ve learned to trust in my process and ask for help, when necessary, I’ve grown more confident in handling these complexities while learning how to maintain a healthy work-life balance.

Another struggle has been dealing with creative blocks, especially the internal battle between the inner critic and the artistic flow state. As a self-taught Silversmith, I’m grateful for the freedom that comes with figuring things out on my own, but it also means facing many challenges without a formal guide. Sometimes the process feels frustrating, but each obstacle teaches me something new and pushes me toward growth. I’ve come to appreciate these struggles and see everything as part of my creative evolution.

Lastly, learning how to navigate the unpredictability of self-employment. Building a business based on creativity means there are natural ebbs and flows. Some months are abundant, while others are lean. It can be difficult to stay motivated during the slower times, especially when the financial stability I’m used to isn’t guaranteed.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?

My work is focused on hand fabrication. I prefer to create each element by hand rather than relying on machines. This allows me to infuse my artistic touch into every piece, making each one unique. My design philosophy is to compliment, rather than compete with, the natural beauty of the stones I use. I specialize in crafting heirloom quality jewelry: pieces designed to last and be passed down through generations.

What I’m most proud of is knowing that my pieces are cherished and worn daily. The compliment I love hearing the most is, “I never take it off!” It tells me that I’ve created something that feels personal and integral to someone’s life. Comfort, durability, and a seamless connection to the wearer’s authentic expression are always my top priorities.

Another aspect that sets my work apart is my commitment to sourcing materials directly from miners and lapidarists. The origin of the stones, minerals, and specimens I use is incredibly important to me. I want my customers not only to appreciate the beauty of the pieces but also to feel a connection to the energy of the stones themselves.

We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?

For many, The Covid-19 Crisis, served as a wake-up call or an opportunity to reevaluate our priorities. It taught me some powerful lessons about life, purpose and how I choose to spend my time. When the pandemic hit, I suddenly had an abundance of free time and no clear career path ahead of me. I came to understand that you can either be paid for your soul or compensated for soul filled work. For too long, I’d been working jobs that helped build other people’s visions, but they lacked deeper meaning for me. I knew I couldn’t continue down that path forever. It was in this uncertainty that I realized I no longer wanted to dedicate my time and energy to nurturing someone else’s dream.

Life is unpredictable, and the world around us is constantly changing. The question then became: How do I want to spend my time? How do I find something that not only brings joy, but also fuels my soul’s flame, rather than dimming it?

This realization led me to ponder the ways in which I could generate income through something that brought myself and others joy. As luck would have it, I had taken the intro the ring making class a few weeks prior to the lockdown. With the unpredictability of the world lingering over me, I decided to take a leap of faith and start learning the craft of silversmithing. Every dollar I earn is a direct result of my passion, which is a feeling that’s impossible to replicate in a job that doesn’t align with my personal values. The feeling of knowing that every dollar in my bank account is the result of my own creativity is unparalleled.

The pandemic, in many ways, pushed me to take this journey toward living more authentically and pursuing a life that aligns with my deeper values.

As I’ve learned to navigate the rollercoaster of self-employment, It’s been a journey of embracing uncertainty and trusting that when I follow my true calling, the universe responds in kind.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.gevgems.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gevgems/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Gevgems/

Image Credits

@derekdoesphoto
@gevgems