Born in 1937, in Kirkwall, Orkney, Ola Gorie studied at Grays School of Art in Aberdeen, from where she graduated in 1960. On her return to Orkney where she set up her studio, three jewellery shops in Kirkwall agreed to sell her designs. When she took over her own shop, success came quickly. Her early designs, the first to be originated in Orkney since Viking times, drew heavily on Orkney's Norse Heritage featuring images such as the Maes Howe Dragon, inspired by Viking graffiti in a Neolithic tomb. Her jewellery found quick acceptance both locally and, by the end of the sixties, across the country. Commissions for one-off pieces came from The Queen Mother, Liberty, the British Museuem and the House of Commons among others.
By the time of her retirement from business, in 1997, Ola Gorie employed as many as 55 staff, and her jewellery was exported around the world. The business is now run, on a smaller scale, by Ola Gorie's daughter, textile designer Ingrid Tait, and operates out of the same premises the family business has occupied since 1859.
Ola Gorie was awarded an MBE in 1999.