The Dragon & the Jeweller: My Story
✨ How Le Dragon Argenté Got Its Name (Yes, Really)
Back in 2009, I walked into Revenu Québec to register my business name with a pretty simple idea:
It had to involve a dragon. 🐲
Living in Québec meant the name needed to work in both French and English — something catchy, something that rolled off the tongue. “Gold Dragon” was already taken (rude), so I landed on The Silver Dragon.
When I told the gentleman behind the desk I wanted to register Le Dragon Argent, he paused… then smiled.
“May I make a suggestion?”
“Of course.”
“Le Dragon Argenté. The É at the end is very sexy.”
And honestly? He wasn’t wrong.
That tiny accent is how Le Dragon Argenté / The Silver Dragon was born — and here we still are.
🔨 How I Fell Into Jewellery (and Never Left)
I didn’t grow up dreaming of being a jeweller. I just knew I wanted to make art for a living.
I started in Dawson’s Fine Arts program and quickly realized the vibe wasn’t for me. Too many egos, not enough joy. Later on, a roommate showed me the jewellery projects he was working on and I thought, Hey… I can do that.
So I enrolled in jewellery making at École Métier Sud-Ouest in St-Henri. I trained, learned the bench, fell in love with the process… and then life did what it does best. Four weeks before graduating, I dislocated my shoulder and had to drop out.
Still became a jeweller though. 😉
🛠️ The Workshop, the Gear, and Doing Things My Way
Jewellery making requires… a lot of stuff. Tools, equipment, space, and patience.
I built my workshop slowly over many years, buying equipment piece by piece while working for other jewellers and learning how the industry actually functions. That experience also taught me what I didn’t want — like running a retail store.
I work best independently, on my own terms, with multiple cats supervising and zero dress code. If you’re not enjoying what you’re doing, the work shows. Simple as that.
🎪 Adventures in the Convention Realm
I’ve been vending at conventions since 2010, starting with local sidewalk sales and small craft fairs, and over the years I’ve levelled up to big events like Comiccon, Otakuthon, and Fan Expo Canada.
Nowadays, I do around 10–12 shows a year, traveling near and far to geeky gatherings where the energy is off the charts. Every booth tells a story, every conversation sparks inspiration, and even the long, exhausting days are worth it when someone lights up holding one of my pieces.
I’ve survived blown tires, a broken pinky finger, last-minute setups, and mountains of merchandise, and all of it fuels my creativity. Conventions aren’t just sales — they’re a playground where fandom, nostalgia, and jewellery collide, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
💥 When a Ring Took Over the Internet
It took about four years before the business truly turned a profit. I went full‑time, started paying myself… and then the pandemic hit. Classic.
That forced me to lean hard into online sales, learn website building and figure out how to survive without events. Then something wild happened — one ring went viral, and suddenly a lot more people found my work.
It still blows my mind thinking about it — my Howl's Moving Castle Calcifer ring went viral seemingly overnight. One day, I was shipping out my usual orders, tweaking new designs, and catching up on emails. The next, people were posting reviews, sharing videos on TikTok, and suddenly my little creation was everywhere.
Sales skyrocketed in a way I’d never experienced before — in just a few weeks, I made more than I had in the entire previous year. Beyond the numbers, it was validation: people genuinely connected with my work, my style, and the little pieces of fandom magic I try to put into every ring, pendant, and charm. I realized in that moment that my jewellery wasn’t just “things to wear” — they were stories, memories, and nostalgia that people wanted to carry with them.
It was overwhelming, exhilarating, and completely life-changing. Suddenly, the long hours, the mistakes, the trial-and-error, and all the uncertainty of being a handmade creator felt worth it in a way I hadn’t imagined.
🌱 Growth, Lessons, and Getting Help
As the workload grew, I learned an important lesson: I can’t do everything. I hired help, brought on Mark (my casting‑finishing wizard and 3D design genius), and later brought on a virtual assistant to help me out with the website, social media, newsletter and other behind the scenes tasks.
I’m dyslexic, have ADD, and while ideas come easily, organization does not. So I build a team around my strengths and weaknesses — and that’s been a game changer.
🧠 Where My Inspiration Has Always Come From
My inspiration hasn’t really changed — it’s just gotten more refined.
I pull from:
- High fantasy
- Sci-fi
- Anime
- Video games
- Mythology
- All the weird, wonderful geeky things I loved growing up
My dad was also a massive geek, so this stuff feels baked into my DNA.
On the design side, I’ve always loved:
- Vintage jewellery from the 1940s–1950s
- Realistic animal sculpture
- Medieval and antique styles
- Rich gemstone settings that feel like they have a story
Basically: things that look like they belong in another world.
🐉 The Big Shift: Where My Jewellery Is Going Now
Here’s the part I’m really excited about.
Lately, my focus has shifted toward nostalgia-driven fandom jewellery — pieces that feel like love letters to the things that shaped us.
Not trends.
Not chasing what’s hot this week.
But designs that tap into:
- The magic of “days past”
- Stories we grew up with
- Symbols that still hit you right in the feels
I’m intentionally creating jewellery I personally want to see exist in the world. Things that feel meaningful, fun to make, and satisfying to wear.
If you feel the vibe? Amazing.
If it makes you smile, remember something, or feel a little more like yourself? Even better.
💎 Quality Over Quantity (Always)
My philosophy hasn’t changed:
- Portable art
- Made to be worn
- Built to last
- Created with care
I’d rather make fewer pieces that people truly love than flood the world with things that don’t mean anything.
🧡 Why I’m Still Here
I’ve been doing this a long time now — through industry changes, pandemics, platform shifts, and everything in between.
What keeps me going?
- The joy of creating
- The freedom to explore ideas
- And you — the people who wear my work, share it, and come say hi at conventions
Le Dragon Argenté has always been about making jewellery with heart, humour, and a bit of dragon energy 🐉✨
That’s not changing anytime soon.
If anything… it’s just getting more me.
Thanks for being here,
