I’m Megan, the 40-something-year-old solitary force behind Megan Goldner Designs.
I’m completely obsessed with creating Keepsake jewellery – it’s more than just a job, it’s my calling.
Every Keepsake piece I create feels imbued with a profound purpose. It’s more than just jewellery; it’s a tangible reminder of cherished memories, a beacon of comfort during difficult times. Witnessing the healing it brings to others – the quiet strength it offers in the face of loss – is a powerful balm for my own soul. It’s a beautiful exchange, a privilege to be a part of someone’s journey. That’s why I approach every order with the utmost care, respect and feeling of gratitude, ensuring each Keepsake reflects the love and light it holds within.
This is the story or how I get to live my best authentic life:
Me 🙂
I grew up on a small holding, in a working-class community about 50km’s outside of Johannesburg, South Africa.
As a kid, I was a real tomboy and playing amongst the trees in the peach orchard, reading, drawing, crafting and colouring. I loved playing outside, collecting rocks and sticks, collecting flowers and I spent tons of time in the fields exploring and collecting bugs. If I really had a lucky day, I would come across a scorpion or snake to catch, much to the dismay of my mother. All these experiences helped me hold on to memories and build a deep connection with nature.
Just after I turned 21, we lost my brother in a car accident.
My brother was my everything. My role model, protector and guide. He was the person who guided me into adulthood and shared many of my first experiences in this world.
We were 7 years apart, and the day we lost him, I lost part of my soul.
My brother, Fanie.
I’ve always been a hard worker and was the first person in my family to achieve various national business diplomas and for most of my adult life, I was immersed in the corporate world, until I’ve had enough of the rat rate and needed more in my life.
In September 2013, I started exploring Reiki energy and crystal healing to promote relaxation and balance in my own life which has set me on the path of not only healing myself but that of self-discovery. At the same time, to keep my sanity, I picked up a long-forgotten box of beads and started making random things. After months of stringing beads and making everything from bracelets to beaded bath plug chains, I took my box of beaded things to work with no intention of selling the silly trinkets but was amazed that I came home completely sold out.
Wired and Beaded was born and I created the Facebook page in January 2014.
I started creating more interesting things and used my time creating as a type of meditation to help me unravel the wool in my head and let go of stress. I spent my weekends selling my items at farmers markets but soon got bored of the beads. I needed more and that is when I found the amazingly versatile medium called resin!
Frustrated with the lack of resources in South Africa at the time, I enrolled in a few silicone mould making courses and found a brand-new world with endless possibilities at my fingertips.
In April 2014, I was the first person in South Africa to make the very popular Dandelion Wish Necklaces. I have sold countless of these beautiful pieces, and I spent my time after work and weekends casting resin and making my own wishes come true in the process.
Early Dandelion Wish Necklace
My journey into preserving Keepsakes was a natural progression to my craft and it all started with using fur from my own pets, a way to experiment and see if there was a need for these tangible tokens of love. The response was overwhelming! People from all walks of life connected with the idea of keeping a piece of their furry companions close. Witnessing the comfort and joy Keepsake jewellery brought them fuelled my passion to keep creating.
As my skills grew, so did the Keepsake story. I began incorporating precious keepsakes like cremated ashes, allowing families to hold onto cherished memories of loved ones in a truly special way. Each Keepsake piece is a unique expression of love, a reminder of the special bond that transcends even loss.
One of my most profound experiences creating Keepsake jewellery involved a work colleague, Grant, who tragically passed away in a motorcycle accident. Crafting a piece with his cremains wasn’t simply about making a necklace; it became a mission to offer solace to his wife and a way for her to keep his memory close. The weight of this responsibility was immense, and I poured my heart into creating a meaningful tribute. The moment I saw the peace and gratitude on her face as I presented the pendant, it solidified my calling. It was kismet.
Witnessing the profound impact Keepsake jewellery had on my clients’ lives – the comfort it offered, the memories it preserved and that my pieces became a tangible way for people to grieve and keep their loved ones close – was incredibly fulfilling. It was a powerful validation of my own healing journey, a testament to the power of creativity and connection. In 2015, I knew it was time to take things to the next level. I gave my business a proper name and branding, ready to share Keepsake jewellery with the world.
Still working my very high-profile corporate job, my soul yearned for open spaces away from the concrete jungle, for nature around me, and the newfound drive to help and heal the broken.
I had limited metalsmithing experience and no visible path forward but backed with years’ worth of corporate experience and learning how to run a business, I ventured on. It was a whirlwind of teaching myself smithing, learning how to create and maintain my own website, becoming a Reiki Master, quitting my corporate job, and finding my niche.
I reinvested every cent from each sale into more silver, more tools and better materials and equipment.
I faced doubts, financial insecurity, personal struggles, even a frenemy smith’s attempt to sabotage my business and many, many copycats in recent years, but I am grateful for the adversity of my beginnings, because it stoked my determination, self-reliance, and authenticity. After ten years of honing my vision and voice as an artist and healer, these qualities remain at the core of what I do. All my Keepsake pieces are an extension of me.
In 2017, dad passed away. He was a strict but kind man who loved his job and he worked long hours to provide us with everything that we needed. He loved his garden and tended it every weekend and showed it off with pride.
Loss is a deeply personal experience, and one that many of us face at some point in our lives. It can be a powerful reminder of the preciousness of our loved ones and the memories we share with them.
Following my heart, I have learned much about human nature, letting go, living in the moment, the importance of gratitude, the power of presence, self-compassion and healing and how we are all made from the same energy and intricately connected to one another. Through my pieces I offer my clients comfort during difficult times, keeping memories alive and offering a way to carry a tangible memory with them always. This, in turns, heals me.
Now I’m an animal loving, crystal collecting, sage burning, aura cleansing weirdo. My friends and family think I’m proper witchy, and I wouldn’t have it any other way!
My jewellery is an ode to the human spirit and the healing journey we all undertake at some point in our lives, and my hope is that my authenticity, kindness, empathy, and love for what I do, layered with personal experiences, results in powerful talismans that will assist each person who wears it to hold on to the light.
I am profoundly in love – obsessed, even – with what I do.
This is my calling.
This is my path.
This is my sacred gift.
I am here in service of others.
If you have made it reading this far, I thank you for sharing in my story and I hope you can feel the passion, dedication, and reverence I pour into my craft, and how deeply thankful I am for your support.
Want to see more Keepsake creations and what inspires me? Follow me on social media! I share behind-the-scenes glimpses, inspiration, and even answer your burning questions about Keepsakes.
Let’s connect!
