This episode of Gobsmacked! features Ruth Mary Chipperfield, an award-winning jeweller whose gold jewellery has sat alongside some of the most celebrated names in history.
Diagnosed with narcolepsy in her early twenties whilst studying chemistry at university, Ruth found herself facing a future very different from the one she had imagined. Powerful drug regimes solved one problem whilst creating others, and as a newlywed she was confronted with a stark reality, mainstream working life simply was not going to fit.
But Ruth has done something remarkable.
Instead of allowing narcolepsy to define the boundaries of her life, she transformed her scientific mind, her fascination with gemstones and her artistry into something beautiful. Today, she creates and repurposes exquisite jewellery, breathing new life into old treasures whilst building a life that works with her condition rather than endlessly battling against it.
Like the facets of a beautifully cut diamond, this conversation refracts in so many fascinating directions. Chemistry. Gemstones. Ketogenic living. Punishing medication. Endurance. Reinvention. Identity. Survival.
At one point Ruth says:
“I’ve chosen my hard.”
Blimey, she is articulate.
And this really is an absolute must-listen.