Contemporary Jewellery direct from the leading contemporary jewellery designers

Artist's Statement

I am a designer-maker of modern art jewellery, specialising in silver smithing and small scale hot glass techniques. I am driven by a desire to create jewellery which provokes curiosity; my pieces are out of the ordinary and striking. I believe jewellery design is my ideal vocation as it can be an amalgamation of my major interests; metalwork, fashion, gemstones, art and design, glass, colour, and pattern. Making jewellery requires precision, and I find that having some scientific knowledge is a definite advantage.

My latest ‘Bubble’ collection is a development of a range of work which was inspired by my love of being is a vibrant city at night. I also draw inspiration from a variety of other areas, for example, the fashion industry, Haute Couture, Victorian style and gothic imagery and literature. These diverse and contrasting styles inspire me to develop pieces that are eclectic and sometimes extreme. I love to juxtapose vivid colours against monochromatic schemes, and incorporate intricate detail into my pieces. By using coloured glass components and gemstones I am able to maintain bright, colourful elements in my work. The jewellery items I offer for sale are handmade in a purpose built studio on my home premises in Manchester.

My current ‘Bubble’ collection combines hollow, blown glass bubbles with sterling silver multilink chains and finger rings. Each glass bubble is blown individually, by hand, using a gas torch. The bubbles are sealed and may then be painted with a lustre and fired to leave a layer of precious metal, either Gold or Platinum, or a transparent colour, permanently adhered to the surface. Lastly, all the bubbles are annealed in a digital kiln to ensure strength and durability. The silver elements of each piece are soldered for security, and are then polished to a high shine, given a matte finish, or oxidised to dramatically darken the silver. These pieces are produced in limited numbers, and no two pieces will ever be identical.

New for Summer 2008, my ‘Bubble’ range includes three new colours; in addition to the previously available Gold and Platinum, I can now offer Green Marble, Marbled Cherry, and Mother of Pearl. New products include a Chain Brooch Pin, and three different lengths of earrings, plus a larger selection of rings. The original multilink bracelets and necklaces are still available.

I entered the Sterling Silver Multilink Neckpiece with 69 Platinum Bubbles (pictured below) into the 2008 Goldsmiths’ Craftsmanship and Design Awards. This piece won a Gold Award in the Fashion Jewellery Production category.