Interview Australian jewellery designer Margot McKinney | The Jewellery Editor

Over the rainbow: the wonderful world of Margot McKinney

Australian jeweller Margot McKinney joins us on Tea with Maria to talk about her distinctive maximalist and highly colourful style.

21 July 2020

You will never forget the moment you first see a Margot McKinney jewel. A mix of wonder and fascination, the experience is sealed in the mind. With an innate eye for colour and design, McKinney packs into jewels the abundant and majestic landscapes of her native Australia.

A ring evokes an electric blue lagoon fringed by lush vegetation; a dusky sunset is captured in cascading, tumbling translucent gemstones. With a clear preference for the gems of Australia, the shy pearl takes centre stage and lightning flashes of colour draw the eye into the mysterious heart of the finest quality opals.

Multi stone drop earrings from Margot McKinney — Stunning colours for these earrings from Margot McKinney set with rubellite, kunzite, aquamarine, tanzanite, peridot.

All this in proportions and with an abundance of colour to vie with the bounty of the designer’s homeland, making McKinney’s jewels a luscious feast for the senses. Outsized, vibrantly coloured, pebble-smooth gemstones rub shoulders with lustrous baroque or creamy smooth South Sea pearls. A rainbow arrangement of tourmalines swirls around a stellar opal creating new harmonies of colour and texture. One seen, never forgotten McKinney’s jewels will linger in your mind’s eye.

And who better to talk about these jewels than Margot McKinney herself as she joins the Jewellery Editor for an Instagram Live interview. Replay the video above to find out more.

Discover baroque pearls here.

A keen gem hunter, Margot McKinney is globe trotting the world to find the most incredible gemstones and found these striking pink and green tourmalines in a private collection.
‘I love opals that look like they have been plucked out of the sea or from an exotic reef with an enigmatic play of blue, green to orange and pink,’ says Margot McKinney.
These mismatched peridot, garnet and brown diamonds earrings from Margot McKinney are mixing a classic design with an edgy approach.
Nested on tourmaline, rubellite, mandarin garnet, diamond, sapphires, tsavorite, and peridot, the beautiful baroque pearl at the centre of this ring from Margot McKinney has been found in the northern coast of Australia.
This baroque pearl necklace from Margot McKinney is set with diamonds, tsavorites, sapphires and a curled ‘M’ charm hangs at the back, giving it the personalised Margot touch.
This long necklace designed by Margot McKinney, set with South sea pearls, diamonds, sapphires and amethyst, will appeal to confident and strong women searching for a different kind of jewellery.
Stunning colours for these earrings from Margot McKinney set with rubellite, kunzite, aquamarine, tanzanite, peridot.
Inspired by the colours of the Australian lagoons, these stunning earrings from Margot McKinney are set with opals, tsavorite, sapphires and diamonds.
Margot McKinney Tahitian pearl cocktail ring, accompanied by a halo of multi-coloured sapphires, tsavorites, peridot and diamonds.
Margot McKinney's incredible ability to use colours is reflected in this cocktail ring where she is playing with the blues, greens and pinks through opals, peridots and sapphires.