My story

Mary Bourke is the inspirational goldsmith behind the jewellery brand DeBurca Design. Growing up in the rugged landscape of Mayo Mary spent most of her childhood outdoors, helping her Dad on their farm, rambling through woods with her dog Shadow, finding the beauty in every day. Always gathering things from berries to hazelnuts to smooth stones.

As a Science postgraduate student, while working towards a PhD in Neuroscience she took up an evening course in NCAD in jewellery making. Every week she lost herself in hammering and soldering… making and creating. She grew to look forward to and cherish this creative space. Driven by a passion for making she began to hone her goldsmithing skills. After an intensive 2 year of training with Design and Crafts Council of Ireland on the Jewellery skills course, she worked in the jewellery trade for a number of years refining her skills. She has now set up her own studio in rural county Carlow overlooking the Barrow valley.

She creates all the pieces at her workbench in her home studio. The studio shelves display sources of inspiration such as dried leaves, shells, pebbles, and lots of books that feed her imagination and designs. Mary takes ideas from nature such as repetition and pattern and the interplay of light, line and shadow, and demonstrates these through her jewellery designs, working with silver, gold, pearls and precious stones. She has developed a number of jewellery ranges in both silver and gold and loves to create personalised one of a kind pieces for individual clients. 

Mary is a member of FORM, www.formcarlow.com