Karen Duncan was born in Orkney and grew up on Burray, one of the southern isles of Orkney.  While still at school she started making jewellery.  Her hobby grew into a passion and then a full-time profession spanning over 30 years.

Her experience in the jewellery industry has varied from traditional bench skills to modern design and production processes.  The influences for her own jewellery comes from a variety of sources including the natural world and Orkney’s heritage.

Karen’s handmade Orkney jewellery received the accolade of being accepted into The Guild of Master Craftsmen, making her the first designer/maker in Orkney to have achieved this.  The Guild is an association which recognises the high standards of craftsmanship attained by artisans engaged in craft, art, trade, profession or vocation.