With its bright, angular leaves and deep purple centre, the Black-eyed Susan grows wild across the volcanic Caribbean island of Saba.The little flower is also one of the inspirations for a range of unusual, hand-made pieces at The Jewel Cottage – a new store selling its own jewellery in Amsterdam and in the Dutch Caribbean.

Mark Johnson, a Saba native of Scottish and Dutch descent, designs pieces based on the sights and sounds of his home island as well as his journeys to South America, Asia and Africa to find multi-coloured gems. ‘It’s all about the nature,’ he says.

‘Saba is a very unusual island, an extinct volcano in the middle of the very deep ocean. We use it as an inspiration: the flowers, leaves, and my exotic travels to source gems. My partner makes 75% of the collection here on Saba and we also work with two goldsmiths in Italy to create one-of-a-kind pieces.’

In an intimate, stylish shop on the Kerkstraat in the centre of Amsterdam, writer and designer Laura Arcila, can tell visitors more about the four collections: Artist Palette, with its multi-coloured gems, the Exotica and Bloom pieces based on tropical journeys and flowers, and the Saba collection inspired by the land and sea of the island.

An antique magnifying glass is on hand to show buyers the details of the gems, while they drink a dainty cup of coffee. One side of the room shows off silver jewellery, wire-like, open necklaces, a bejewelled butterfly pendant and plant-shaped earrings. On the other is a collection in yellow and white gold, including a ring studded with many-coloured gems and another, heavy and deep red, like a dragon’s eye emerging from a rock. The jewellery is made in gold and silver, with gems such as garnets, sapphires of all colours, vibrant green tsavorites, tourmaline, amethyst and violet-blue tanzanite.

‘Our focus is on very unusually coloured gems, inspired by Saba’s five microclimates,’ says Johnson. ‘Orange garnet, for example, with royal blue sapphire, inspired by the Black-eyed Susan vine that grows wild all over the island with orange petals and a dark purple centre. I go on a hike, close my eyes and start to draw.’

Some of the earrings, rings and necklaces have organic, open forms, others are more conventional shapes, but each single item is unique in its design or coloured gemstone.

Johnson, who has had a jewellery store on Saba for 15 years and has just expanded to Amsterdam, said all kinds of people buy the pieces – which are designed to last.

‘There’s a crowd that likes to show off the bling, but there are also people in their 30s, 40s, 50s, buying gifts to remember a great holiday coming to a Caribbean island or a special time seeing the light on the canals in Amsterdam.

‘When it comes to jewellery, gems and gold, it keeps its value – it isn’t like buying perishable goods. There might be falls in the stock markets but if you are going to buy a piece, you are going to buy a piece. Amsterdam is very well represented in the diamond industry, but there isn’t as much in coloured gem stores: this is different, unique, and one of a kind.’

The collection is viewable in store and at the Jewel Cottage website