From top: Brian (left) and Kieran with their mothers (in background): With Maria’s wedding bands; The rings.

Maria Dorai-Raj writes:

I’m a contemporary Irish Jewellery designer based in Cork City. I recently had the honour of designing and making the wedding bands for my best friend Brian’s wedding. Ive known Brian all my life, we grew up together.

He married the love of his life Kieran recently in a beautiful ceremony in our hometown of Galway, something which he had never imagined he would be able to do.

I fell in love with the art of jewellery making while studying in Florence and I’m fortunate enough to have been able to turn this passion into my career so I was overjoyed when Brian asked me to make their wedding bands.. The slim white gold rings are court shaped with hand engraved grooves on either side.

Through my work [at link below] I explore the inherent beauty in different manifestations of strength and although these rings were quite different from my own collections they are more of a symbol of strength than anything I have previously made.

A wedding band is a public acknowledgment of commitment and a physical reminder of the love each partner has for each other.

The recent momentous events in Ireland means that *all people* can now wear and express their acknowledgment, commitment and love for each other.

FIGHT!

MDR

Irish made stuff to broadsheet@broadsheet.ie marked ‘Irish Made Stuff’. No fee