HAND made, unique, original - these are only a few of the words that can be used to describe the jewellery at Link-to-Link in Flatts Village. From earrings and bracelets to custom body jewellery and wedding rings, expect each piece to be lovingly made and thoroughly individual. “I have always been fascinated by jewellery. To make it has always been a dream of mine, since I was 13,” says Shane Robinson, jeweller and owner of Link to Link, reminiscing about walking along Front Street and admiring the pieces glittering in the store windows. “I like art and I like creating things with my hands.”

Throughout his childhood, Mr. Robinson says he was always making little trinkets and “cutting out pennies” for his friends in the neighbourhood. Noticing his keen interest, his parents nurtured his ability, and with 100 per cent of their support, he went off to the East Coast to study silversmithing at Gould Academy in Maine in 1988. After finishing at Gould, he went on to study at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in New York before returning home to work under the likes of Greg Wilson and Maurice Ming of Wilson’s Jewellers, and Chesley Harford at his St. George’s store, Designer Creations.

“After about a year of that I decided to open up on my own, that was about December 1996,” Mr. Robinson recalls.

Although he admits that going it alone was a challenge, Mr. Robinson notes that he wasn’t necessarily concerned about financially making it in the big world: “Yes, you’re worried about making money but was more concerned with pleasing my customer, making them happy with the product.”

A one time substitute teacher, Mr. Robinson taught students at public schools across the Island, his last stint spent at Berkeley as the design and technology teacher. Two years ago he decided to give up that role in order to focus on his burgeoning business.

Even though the business has it’s slow times, he says he’s kept quite steady with work thanks to the large amount of custom work he gets.

“I like making things with a lot of texture,” Mr. Robinson says of his unique style. “I try to stay away from the traditional polishing and so forth.

“Of course, if I had to come down to making a piece traditionally for someone, I can do it, but I like to incorporate a lot of texture, shine. I like variety and I like to experiment.

“I can pick my pieces out very easily.”

One of only a handful of small business jewellers left on the Island, Mr. Robinson, who only has one assistant, Norriette Grant, hopes that it is a tradition that will continue.

“It’s a strange profession in that it’s not something that a lot people grow up knowing the want to do,” he avers. “I can’t say I’m the youngest jeweller, there are a few younger people coming up through the other shops and I hope they stick with it. But it takes a lot of patience - you can’t become a jeweller over night. You have to have a love for it.”

When asked whether he feels the business is a “dying art”, he admits that in a way it is: “In this day and age, there are computers and machines that can make everything for you.”

He says In order to keep up with the changing technology and trends, he takes yearly courses, although he adds: “But I think people like hands on, hand made things, especially in Bermuda.”

And so far this theory has proven true as the majority of his clientele are Bermudians. And rather than going the route of his larger, more established competitors he relies on “word of mouth” to drum up new customers.

“I don’t like to compare myself to the bigger companies because we have different styles. I do my own thing,” he says. “I guess I’m more one on one with my customers - when a client comes in they’re dealing directly with the jeweller.”

Being a true entrepreneur and knowing a good opportunity when he sees it, Mr. Robinson also provides a selection of children’s toys, although he’s considering scaling them back in order to concentrate on other prospects.

“I kind of stumbled across the children’s toys,” he explains of their presence. “I was at a jewellery show and met the people that own Melissa and Doug’s Toys and they mentioned they didn’t have anyone representing them in Bermuda. They sent me some samples and it’s grown since then.”

For Mr. Robinson, comfortable with his current successes, the future holds a lot of promise.

“Eventually I’d like to get back into my sculptural pieces, my art work,” he says. “During the college days I got into making a lot of sculptural work - lamps, candle holders and so on.

“My old college professor always tells me to come up and work with him in New York, but I’ve got two small children right now, so that’s put a hold on things. As they get older though, I may take him up on that offer, go up there for a few months and beat up on some metal. I do have to say I miss it.”

Although he admits that his jewellery is his “bread and butter”, he views it as a stepping-stone to his future.

“I think sometimes n Bermuda you just get stuck into doing things for everybody else, but what are you doing for yourself?” he muses, adding: “You’ve got to live, and in order to live you’ve got to do everything for everybody else. I want to start doing things for myself. Of course, all that takes money I guess.”

But with the unfailing support of his wife Kennette (“She makes a good model,” he says, laughing.), the future of Link to Link is bright. As for his two youngsters, Shane, four, and Shayla, two, although he will support them in whatever career paths they eventually choose, he can only hope they will follow in their dad’s footsteps: “Shane likes filing, playing with the wax, and he likes to play with the machines.

“Sure I’d like to see one of my kid’s carry on with it. It’s link-to-link, passing on another piece of the chain.”