Sheila Westera is known for her hand-sculpted, one-of-a-kind statement jewellery, created using techniques she has developed herself. A curious and critical child raised in the Netherlands, Sheila was captivated by her microscope and the natural world—its flora, fauna, planet, and cosmos. In her late teens, she began questioning humanity’s role on Earth and recognised the need for more sustainable thinking.

While studying the History of Art and Architecture, Sheila also worked in fine jewellery, discovering her natural affinity for originality over uniformity. Influenced by an upbringing in the low countries, where modesty is highly valued, Sheila instead developed a love for bold colour and individuality. Today, she unapologetically creates striking statement pieces, often infused with messages, in a style shaped by her moods and emotions.

Her work often incorporates faceted or raw gemstones—or even a pebble—featured in pieces she calls Conversation Pieces. Alongside her colourful aesthetic creations, Sheila designs jewellery with profound messages in her Arty Scenes collection, reflecting her understanding that life is not always just a celebration.

In 2007, Sheila created her first neckpiece from discarded waste found along the shores of a pristine Alpine lake—a provocative design featuring sharp glass fragments that conveyed a powerful message.

Sheila has collected stones in all their forms for as long as she can remember, influenced by her early exposure to fine jewellery through her stepmother, who managed a high-end jewellery company.

For Sheila, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but she has always felt a sense of duality:

Must a jewel be made from precious metals to hold value, or could it be crafted from something as simple as paper? Isn’t the essence of any piece found in its originality and its challenge to accepted norms, much like a painter’s canvas? While living in Amsterdam years ago, she encountered contemporary jewellery that posed these very questions—ones she continues to explore and debate.

Today, her art reflects these explorations. After developing her own techniques and creating miniature silver structures with gemstones—becoming unintentionally glamorous—Sheila balances her love of beauty with social awareness. Her work embodies this complex creative process, with her activist spirit consistently woven into her explorations of our planet and humanity’s role within it.

Her pieces are titled Fundamental, Endangered, Macho Man, Dog Food, Gold Digger, and All the Fish in the Sea, infusing humour and deeper meaning into her jewellery.