I'm Manda the designer and founder of Desert Drifter
A quick backstory of DD - For 10 years I had travelled and worked around some of the most remote locations of Australia on cattle stations - essentially 'drifting' around - I loved (and still love) the feeling of space, freedom, open roads and the excitement of what the next adventure holds.
During this time, years before the first pieces were crafted I began collecting turquoise (which at time proved to be difficult as I would regularly be in isolated locations with no phone service, internet and irregular mail services) That didn't stop me though - whenever I was able to I would jump online and hunt for stones.
Turquoise is so incredible - the colours, matrix, getting to know the miners, knowing the excitement they experience pursuing their next turquoise jackpot and cutting the rough turquoise to reveal exquisite polished stones - I was hooked. As my treasured turquoise collection grew and they travelled with me from place to place I just knew in the future I would be designing jewellery that would give the wearer this same feeling - 'jewels for adventures'
I later pulled up for some time to manage a 750,000 acre cattle station in the remote Central Desert region of Australia. The Northern Territory of Australia is incredible - the colours of the landscape - the sandy red brown soil, the stained dry buffel grass and the spectacular star sparkling clear night skies - here was the beginning of DD - the first (albeit make shift) studio and the inspiration of our gorgeous custom packaging was born here.
But there was a challenge - If anyone on the land can relate - there isn't much time for anything else aside from keeping a cattle station running and looking after all the goin's on, it's a very busy job! - however I did manage a small amount of time to begin creating DD's very first jewels.
The response was beyond. With the creative desire to take the next adventure of pursuing DD full-time we fast forward four years to now - Desert Drifter has established itself as a signature demi fine western jewellery brand both here in Australia and internationally.
And while DD did have to make the move from that remote desert cattle station where it all started - HQ is now settled on a sweet little acreage, in a tiny rural town in Queensland.
Taking inspiration from past and future adventures to come the spirit of Desert Drifter continues through the jewellery we design.
Welcome, and thank ya for ridin' into our world.
Manda & DD
Below: Manda & Bobby in the Desert on the job circa 2019
