About
About
Rowan
If Rowan wasn't a jeweller, she would have been a scientific illustrator...
Rowan Dean is a multi-award-winning contemporary jeweller based in East Lothian, Scotland.
She joined Duncan of Jordanstone in 2022 to study illustration but her plans changed after 2 weeks spent in the jewellery workshop.
Inspiration
Collection and Preservation
Fossils, bones, and pinned butterflies inform both the aesthetics and the processes behind each piece, drawing on the visual language of archival specimen drawers.
Entomology, in particular, shapes Rowan's approach; from the geometry of wing structures to the ritual of pinning and cataloguing. The colours found in butterfly wings, their iridescence and fragility, directly inspire Rowan’s enamel palette, becoming a way to translate the delicate into something enduring.
Materials
Silver & Enamel
Working primarily with recycled .925 silver and vitreous enamel, choosing materials that resonate the themes of preservation and transformation within natural history.
Recycled silver offers a renewed life to a precious metal, while enamel allows colour to be built slowly, in layers, much like the delicate hues found in butterfly wings.
Together, these materials create pieces that feel both historic and enduring.
Process
Research, Sketch, & Sample
Rowan Dean’s process begins with researching natural‑history specimens, and eaching herself to pin her butterflies became a way to understand these specimens firsthand.
Designs grow from sketches and illustrations, translating these observations into designs.
Each piece is refined through enamel sampling, using Rowan’s own-made enamel colour catalogue to test hues inspired directly by butterfly wings before moving into final fabrication.
Further Reading
Rowan Dean is a designer-maker from East Lothian, Scotland, who has always cared deeply about the details of the natural world. Bones, butterflies, and fossils have fascinated her since childhood, and she brings that sense of wonder into her work with recycled silver and enamel. During her third and fourth years, she learned how to use 3D scanning and printing technologies to preserve the exact forms of her collection of bones, butterflies and fossils. However, post graduation, Rowan is far more interested in traditional bench skills and developing her technical skills which align better with the jewellery practice she wishes to pursue long-term.
As an autistic maker, Rowan’s sensitivity to pattern, texture, and materiality shapes everything she does. She finds comfort in collecting and organising and this thoughtful, attentive way of working mirrors the care found in natural history collections. It matters to her that each piece reflects the respect she feels for the specimens that inspire her.
During her studies, Rowan wrote her dissertation on independent jewellers based in Dundee, exploring the value of local creative communities and the importance of supporting small-scale makers. This research deepened her appreciation for the people and practices that shape contemporary jewellery.
Rowan studied at Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design in Budapest, an experience that encouraged her to experiment more boldly with materials and technology. She continues to develop a practice rooted in care, craftsmanship, and curiosity, creating work that reflects the fragility and resilience of the natural forms she loves.
This work is rooted in natural history, drawing from a collection of fossils, bones, and preserved butterflies to examine the relationship between fragility and permanence. As an autistic maker, natural history museums have always felt like sanctuaries; offering a sense of quiet, structure, and order that allows for deep focus. Objects are arranged with intention; information is categorised, labelled, and presented in a way that is consistent and clearly defined, offering the stability many autistic people rely on to process and feel comfortable in their surroundings.
The study of natural history is approached as an investigative process. Specimens are observed, recorded, and translated into contemporary jewellery through methods that mirror museum practices of preservation and documentation. The work relies on 3D scanning and 3D printing to produce precise replicas that can be altered, printed and cast. This approach maintains the integrity of the collection while enabling close engagement with its forms.
For this collection, the work is presented within a display environment that echoes the organisation of a museum collection. Educational text, ordered arrangements, and clearly defined spatial boundaries will guide viewers through the investigative process that underpins the practice. Positioned at the intersection of art, science, and technology, the work communicates an ongoing commitment to learning, observing, and understanding the natural world through systems of structure, focus, and care.