Céline Traynor studied at the University of Ulster, Belfast, graduating in Fine Craft Design in 1988. She moved to Dublin where she worked as an apprentice jeweller for three years. She then changed direction and followed her other passion, music, doing a course in Recording Engineering, which led to working with bands as an assistant engineer to record their albums.

Never far from her jewellery bench, Céline returned to designing and making in 1997, joining the Rubicon Design Studios in Dublin, a bunch of like-minded self-employed individual jewellers.

Five busy years ensued, when she built her business through exhibitions, trade and craft fairs at home and abroad, and was involved in many projects, including ‘GOLD:Contemporary Irish Jewellery Design’, initiated by the Crafts Council of Ireland, and ‘Qua-Art’ organized by Galerie Beeld & Aambeeld, Enshcede, The Netherlands, culminating in supplying retail outlets and galleries nationally and internationally. Private and corporate commissions continued throughout this time, including civic gifts presented to Irish Presidents Mary Robinson and Mary McAleese, and designing and making a pectoral cross for the Auxiliary Bishop of Liverpool.

In 2002, Céline returned to Belfast and continues to work alongside her brother, Goldsmith Garvan Traynor, with private commissions and exhibitions her mainstay. Her work is known to wider audiences with significant commissions for film and TV, such as the mayoral chain worn by Bill Murray in 'City of Ember', rings worn by Shirley MacLaine in 'Closing the Ring', jewellery for actor Robin Wright in 'Moll Flanders' and a host of props featured in HBO's 'Game of Thrones'. She revisited her time in the recording studio, an influence on her designs associated with the physics of microphones, the Omni-Directional collection, fine-tuned during a short residency at the workshop of contemporary jeweller Froukje Idsardi in Delft, The Netherlands.

Céline has taught in a variety of jewellery workshops and helped to set up a workshop on Rathlin Island in conjunction with Rathlin Co-operative Society where she subsequently taught jewellery skills to the islanders for three years.

She has diversified in the last decade to include workshops in the community, facilitating art in healthcare settings. This practice is very different from bench work, but really satisfies her as an individual artist.

Her work is held in a range of public and private collections, and seen in a variety of publications.

“Thoroughly contemporary in style, my jewellery designs in silver and gold, polished and matt finish, reflect my love of pure shape and form appealing to those with a minimalist aesthetic. Although my jewellery might look abstract, the inspiration is down to earth – bridges, wallpaper and tile design, handwriting. Music plays a large part in my designs. Taking a studied, almost mathematical approach, I reduce forms to a balanced, geometric shape. The finished result is simple jewellery with a highly individual appearance. A favoured way of working is to design a link that lends itself to necklaces, pendants, bracelets, earrings, cufflinks. rings and brooches. I love solving the problems of how to connect, link, pin, hang. I enjoy working with a client to design a piece from conception to finish.”