Tracey Curtis-Taylor developed an early interest in stones and spent her youth exploring the lead and slate mines of the Lake District and collecting rock and mineral specimens as well as fine gemstones. This passion led to her being recruited as a trainee Diamond Sorter with De Beers and from there she went on to travel extensively in Africa and the South West Pacific.

During fourteen years in New Zealand, Tracey qualified as a Commercial Pilot and Flying Instructor. Her particular interest in flying old war planes and fascination with stones became the impetus for exploring and scuba-diving throughout the Pacific Islands for wrecked World War II aircraft and searching for interesting rocks and organic gem material, such as shells and bone, which are widely used in the decorative tribal jewellery of Melanesia and Polynesia. In this way, she has become known to her friends as the "Flying Gemmologist".

On returning to England nine years ago, Tracey worked predominantly in the area of vintage aviation and organising air shows and in parallel with this, continued to research and collect gemstones as an enthusiastic amateur. She eventually decided to study the subject formally with the Gemmological Association in London and qualified as a Gemmologist (FGA) in 2004. Rockpool was launched a year later as a culmination of her life-long passion for stones and her desire to create exciting, unique pieces of jewellery around them.