Meet the hands behind Koentinuity

Early Life & Training

Marius Koen was born in Goodwood, Cape Town, and spent part of his childhood in Johannesburg (“Joburg”). As a young man he attended the National School of Arts, where he spent two years learning the basics of goldsmithing — a period that ignited his interest in transforming drawings and patterns into three-dimensional objects and ultimately shaped his decision to make jewellery his profession.

A strong influence on his path was his cousin, Ricus, who had trained as a goldsmith in Stellenbosch. This familial connection, along with his own passion for drawing and design, helped steer Marius toward a career in jewellery making.

After high school, Marius returned to Cape Town. He spent some time experimenting, setting up a small workshop in his one-bedroom flat and doing freelance work — though at first it did not bring in much money.

Eventually, his cousin arranged for him to take a job at the Adriaan du Toit Classique Jewellery Studio in Franschhoek. There, for four formative years, Marius learnt the traditional craft of goldsmithing under experienced artisans, honing his skills benchside.

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Career in South Africa — “Darme” and Beyond

After that apprenticeship, Marius returned to Cape Town and established his own studio as a freelance designer and goldsmith. Over time he developed a highly versatile body of work — not limited to traditional jewellery. He calls himself a “jewellery engineer” rather than simply a goldsmith, reflecting his interest in mechanics, design, and experimentation.

His creations span a wide range: rings, necklaces, and bangles, but also sunglasses, watches and pieces made from unconventional materials such as wood (ebony or olive wood), metals, gemstones, and even plastic or antique materials.

He described “artisan” craft as the freedom to avoid monotonous production — to treat each piece as a process of discovery and to finish pieces by hand, something a machine cannot replicate.

Marius operated under the brand name Darme — an Afrikaans colloquialism meaning roughly “damn beautiful” or “really beautiful”. Under Darme, Marius aimed to give recognition to the hands that crafted each piece – often lost behind commercial jewellery production.

During his South African career, he worked on commissions for several jewellery houses, including Prins & Prins Diamonds (Loop Street, Cape Town), ANPA Jewellers (De Waterkant and Kalk Bay), and, for a period, Uwe Koetter Jewellers.

His inspiration came especially from nature: he enjoyed spending time outside (often with his dog), surfing through design ideas in flowers and natural forms.

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Move to Ireland and New Workshop in Sligo

In more recent years, Marius relocated from South Africa and, as of 2024, has set up a jewellery workshop in rural Cloonacool, County Sligo, Ireland.

In Sligo he seeks to blend his South African heritage and craftsmanship with the rich tradition of Irish — especially Celtic — jewellery design. Through bespoke jewellery work, he aims to offer personalised pieces that reflect both cultures, giving a new voice to a fusion of identities.

This move represents a new chapter: from working for established jewellery houses to independent, custom design work in a new cultural setting – demonstrating both continuity and adaptation in his career.