Mette O’Connor, the founder of AMOC, has always had a creative mind - as a child, she was often seen pencil in hand, ready to draw whatever caught her eye. She travelled the world for a few years, learning her craft with different masters, within different schools. She studied Fine Arts for 4 years but it was the need for something more practical and intricate that made her desire to specialise in metalwork. A chance meeting with an Australian jeweller and gemmologist opened the doors to a whole new world of glistening stones, precious metals and rough tools. Since then, Mette has followed her passion and worked with several different craftmen in Australia, Denmark and Ireland, all using traditional jewellery making techniques. She also trained and qualified as a gemmologist and diamond grader.

Over the years, Mette has crafted ready-to-wear collections and bespoke pieces for her boutique in Greystones alongside some more dramatic and larger wearable art pieces, for fashion shows and exhibitions internationally. Her inspiration comes from life, nature and her family: "a shadow on a leaf, an arch in an ancient cathedral, a dewdrop in my daughter’s hair, a treasure of seaweed collected by my son [...] it can sprout from anywhere" The ideas are limitless while the focus is on making aesthetically pleasing adornments for the wearer to treasure for life.

“I love my job! How many people are lucky enough to be able to say that? I love the whole process - meeting the customer, drawing out the design, finding the right stone to suit the piece, shaping the metal and last but not least, seeing the customer's reaction to their new piece of jewellery! My wish is for my pieces to have a special meaning to the wearer and bring a little sparkle to their day."