Avid marlin fisherman Cindy Mitchell has recently turned her passion for another one of her hobbies into a home based business making.

Mrs. Mitchell, who is a part-time real estate agent as well as a competitive marlin fisher, began taking jewellery making courses at the Bermuda College several years ago and has more recently taken a few courses online through the Gemologist Institute of America.

After spending time using her skills to make jewellery for herself and her friends, she recently decided to broaden her hobby into a home based business called Gem Designs.

Her passion is working with coloured semi-precious stones, beadwork and silver - trendier jewellery designed to appeal to Bermudian women who want to keep up with fashion.

"There are quite a few affluent people who buy jewellery here. Ask any jeweller downtown and they will say Bermudan women love to buy jewellery but people get bored with it and trends change," she said.

Currently, however, Mrs. Mitchell says coloured stones - like the pink tourmalines, aquamarines and black pearls she works with - are really trendy and are being featured in the fashion magazines such as Vogue.

"They tried to introduce them five years ago and they didn't do well and now they are marketing them again and they are doing really well. What I'm doing is a less expensive version," she said.

Mrs. Mitchell's speciality is earrings and necklaces but she is also planning a line of funky rings.

While she will work with gold and diamond and is even offering to do some custom work, she says the majority of the accessories she designs are inexpensive as well as "trendy, funky and different".

One of her target markets is younger women aged 15-23.

"I love working with colour and creating different styles. You have so many variants on what you can put together and how you can put it together, it is just endless," she said.

"The majority of the items are priced for the lower end because they are a trendy item and teens are also a big customer base.

"You can't make them too expensive because they don't have a lot of cash flow. I have a 19-year-old daughter so I have an in."