About Pamela Coulston
Welcome to Disegno Fine Jewellery - Bienvenue à la haute joaillerie Disegno
In the Italian artistic tradition, disegno carries a more complex meaning than just 'design'; it involves both the ability to render the drawing and to imagine the design. Within that lies my commitment to find fresh ideas in unlikely sources, far from the realm of jewellery: vertebrae, motorcycle hand-grips, the span of a girder, a range of mountains, a hyperbolic paraboloid. Nature and industrial design writ small.
My extensive gemmology training and my passion for beautiful gems has also committed me to using only fine, unique gems you’ll rarely find elsewhere. Only natural, untreated gems make the grade at Disegno. Almost all my gems were fashioned by master lapidaries and cutters in the world-famous cutting centre of Idar-Oberstien or by master cutters in Sri Lanka.
But jewellery is more than just a visual pleasure; it is a tactile pleasure as well. My creations are known for exacting attention to detail and the quality of finish. They are also enjoyed for the substantial quantities of precious metals I include, even in this era of skyrocketing precious metal prices. No hollowing out: if it looks bold, it weighs bold.
I am a Graduate Gemologist from the prestigious Gemological Institute of America (GG, GIA) in Carlsbad California (2018), the world’s foremost authority on gems. I am also a Fellow of the Canadian Gemmological Association (FCGmA, CGA), a distinction respected for the depth of its theoretical studies (2018). I graduated in Jewelry Design from GIA’s Santa Monica campus (1991) and subsequently attained my GIA Accredited Jewelry Professional certificate.
Disegno was launched in 1992 and since that time has been sold in public and private galleries, museums, exclusive cruise ships from the Arctic to the Antarctic and various boutiques in Canada, the United States, and Europe. The Canadian Governor General's residence, the Canadian Museum of Civilization, and numerous private collectors from as far afield as Africa, have commissioned me to create custom pieces.
I previously enjoyed careers as an International Development Consultant, working for two years with Unicef in Rwanda among other assignments, and as a Freelance Writer, reporting primarily for national Canadian press and tracking down stories in remote areas of the world (some of my feature articles are posted here: https://www.disegnojewellery.ca/blogs/dispatches). I filed stories floating on ice floes in the Arctic Ocean, trekked some of the world's highest mountain ranges, took notes on bear behaviour in rain forest downpours — and made publishing deadlines every time.
Thanks to my wonderful clients and wonderful associates, you make Disegno a great place to hang out.
Pamela
(Disegno is pronounced dis-en-nyo).