The story

 

Hi! I'm Jocelin, the face behind The Valley Jay.

The Valley refers to my chosen home in the Comox Valley, in beautiful British Columbia, Canada. The Jay is after one of my favourite forest bird species, the grey jay (Perisoreus canadensis). The grey jay is the unofficial bird of Canada, a notoriously curious member of the Corvid family that is well known to those who spend time in the alpine. These jays are found across the country, and have been a constant in almost every community I've called home.

I started making silver jewelry in 2020. In the early pandemic days I began honing my skills and selling work to friends and family. The rest, I guess, is history. The Valley Jay has grown from something I did in my evenings and weekends, to my part-time job.

I am a forester by trade, with a specialization in silviculture - that is, the art and science of growing trees. Over the years I've worked for small consulting companies and large corporations, but recently made the switch to teaching in a college-level forestry program - a move that has allowed me to dedicate more time to metalwork, and rekindle the joy this field of work can offer.

The inspiration for my jewelry often comes from the natural world, and the forests I've dedicated my life to learning about.

Thank you, as always, for being here.

Jocelin

 

Ps. My beautiful logo was designed by the very talented Denise Godeau of Desert Fox Design (@desertfoxdesign on Instagram)