Hi my name is Joanne Benson. From an early age I’ve been creating things. Whatever I was doing it always had to involve making something from nothing. Usually bits of paper ready for the bin or scraps of material scrounged from my mum. I feel I was one of those lucky girls who knew very early on in life what they wanted to do when they grew up, become an Artist! So after gaining a HND in Art & Design I ended up making hats and jewellery for a living. In the early 1990’s I found myself doing craft fairs and going to exhibitions’ with my creations and loving every minute of it. But soon life and reality started to carve cracks in my little creative bubble and all those grown up things like, the mortgage and marriage suddenly took over. A ‘sensible job’ was found and my creative wings were well and truly clipped. Suddenly I was wearing a leash of domestication with pride. Still creating things but now I was home making and nesting. 25 years on, I suddenly found myself struck down with a chronic arthritic condition that affected me so badly I was unable to work and function normally. To keep myself from going insane I rediscovered my love and passion for art and crafts. Once again I started creating things and loved it. I found when I immersed myself in my creativity; it helped me to forget about the pain I was in, if only for a little while. But the more I created the more pain relief I made for myself. Creative making re-entered my life and I found a new passion for gemstones and their meanings and healing properties. I had discovered my own therapy and realised how much I needed it in my life. So now here I find myself building my own business. I am the resident artist of Crystal Orchard 

and design and create all the beautiful pieces available.

A love for gemstones and a healthy interest in myths, legends and meanings, I bring together these elements to create individual decorative items that not only look beautiful but have a meaning behind them too. Each gemstone holds its own meaning and historical myth or legend. I design one off pieces that display the splendour of the stone and capture the charm of the meaning for the wearer. Whether a simple birthstone has been recognised or a myth or legend associated with the health of the wearer has been identified, I can work with you to construct an individual item specifically tailored to their needs. I take the ingredients of the gemstone, the wire, the myth, the legend, the meaning and mix them together with a little bit of imagination and enthusiasm to create anything from a simple solitaire stone piece to a more ornate statement item for the more adventurous person. I work with cold wire techniques; no heat is used in my creations. This means I can create anywhere I go. This is important to me as whether I am on a train, in a plane or sat 

on the beach, inspiration can strike anywhere.