The blue of the ocean invites us to slow down and savour life. Beyond gracing our dining tables, the creatures of the sea have sparked the creativity of countless people. The Editor knows many divers who have channelled their love of the underwater world into original handcrafted products. In Taiwan, such creations tend to fall into a niche market — meaning passion alone rarely pays the bills, and many makers pursue their dreams as a side hustle. We hope that through our words, the lives transformed by the ocean can reach a wider audience.
The slash-career path is a hard one — yet it may be the only way to chase your dreams.
MEoW Mi。秒瞇
MEoW Mi。秒瞇 is a metalsmithing brand founded single-handedly by a woman named Neko. She began exploring metalwork in 2016, building a solid foundation through a vocational training programme, and started designing and selling her own pieces in 2017. Her original plan was to develop a cat-themed collection, but she could never quite capture the perfect silhouette she had in mind. Then, in 2018, she discovered scuba diving and began designing marine life instead — pieces that quickly became a hit among her friends. From that point on, she pivoted her creative focus entirely to the world beneath the waves.
An Encounter with the Ocean
Having been fascinated by living creatures since childhood, Neko chose to study aquaculture at National Taiwan Ocean University, where she spent four years regularly visiting the coast and observing marine life up close. Those years gave her a wealth of knowledge about ocean creatures — though she had no idea at the time that metalwork would one day become the medium through which she would express that passion.
A Slash Life of Constant Try and Error
After graduating, she worked for three years as a cabin attendant on Taiwan High Speed Rail. When her salary and sense of direction seemed to hit a wall, she decided to go on a working holiday in Australia to find herself. Returning to Taiwan in 2015, she stumbled upon a metalsmithing taster class. The hands-on, hammer-and-chisel creative process opened a door to a little universe of her own. She went on to complete a professional vocational training programme — encompassing sketching, design, and interviews — and steadily built her craft from the ground up.
A small workbench — the stage where her dreams take shape.
Creating Marine Life in Metal
Perhaps driven by her love of living things, Neko's earliest experiments included oddities like DNA strands, embryos, and bacteriophages. When she shifted to marine life, she seemed to find her true creative core. Today she works days as a research assistant at a hospital, pouring her creative vision into brass and sterling silver during evenings and weekends.
In her creative approach, she prefers to present creatures as they truly are, rather than over-stylising them. Her aim is to capture marine life in its most natural state through her own hands — much like the quiet wonder of watching them move underwater.
Rather than excessive ornamentation, she seeks to capture marine life in its natural posture.
Stage 1: Wax Carving
Wax carving is the most labour-intensive part of the entire metalsmithing process.
Every creation begins with translating a mental image into a sketch on paper, then slowly carving that idea into three-dimensional form in wax — the most demanding step of the entire process. For custom commissions, this means countless rounds of sketches and wax carvings going back and forth until the design is just right.
Stage 2: Casting
Once the wax model is approved, it is sent to a foundry for casting. For pieces intended for larger production runs, a rubber mould is made so it can be cast repeatedly.
Stage 3: Finishing
Fresh castings always have sprues and minor imperfections that need to be worked away with small hand tools. This is also the stage where each piece is given either a polished or matte surface finish.
Finishing requires a range of tools of different sizes.
Soldering on the bail ring is the final touch.
A sterling silver manta ray, completed and ready to soar into its new owner's hands.
From concept to finished piece, a single creation takes roughly 7 working days — not counting the design discussions and wax-carving process in Stage 1. Among her custom commissions, an engagement ring stands out as her most memorable piece. In addition to brass and sterling silver, she can incorporate gemstones and other elements at the client's request, making each design even more unique.
Creation is a journey of endless refinement.
Silver Care Tips
At the end of our conversation, Neko shared some tips for caring for sterling silver jewellery. The most important thing: wear it often. The natural oils in human skin react with silver and help it maintain its lustre. Left unworn for too long, silver will tarnish and turn black. When not wearing your pieces, store them in a zip-lock bag to minimise exposure to air. And don't take your sterling silver into a hot spring — that's a must.
If the silver has already blackened beyond what you can fix at home, send it back to MEoW Mi。秒瞇 for a professional polish — it will come back looking almost brand new.
Silver jewellery sent in for maintenance requires special treatment.
Love the design style of MEoW Mi。秒瞇? Head over to pick out a ready-made piece or commission your very own marine creature! Shop here: MEoW Mi。秒瞇 (click me!)
