Jewellery Archives - The Oxfordshire Craft Guild

Mary Robson

I became absorbed in making silver jewellery as a hobby fifteen years ago, making for myself, friends and family.

Developing skills, adding techniques and evolving my style is a never ending source of delight, and I love making individual and unique pieces that are eye catching, yet discreet and wearable.

I work in my studio at home, mostly in silver, perhaps with gold accents, and many pieces will incorporate stylish stones set in a variety of ways.
Earring, rings and pendants are the main components of collections, perhaps with the occasional bracelet, when commissioned.

My inspiration will come from anywhere; a stone which catches my eye; the way a piece I see moves; an image in nature, or new techniques learnt in class or from others.
 

Seeun Kim

Seeun Kim is a South Korean metal craftswoman, visual artist and educator. From her perspective, she believes that the human hand is a gift from human evolution. Even though today there are a number of advanced technologies, handicraft products have a high scarcity and sophisticated beauty compared to mass-produced manmade products. Furthermore, there is an inexpressible complexity in the handicraft world that a machine cannot imitate.

Seeun loves making things and believes in their value. Her main skills are delicate metal skills and since 2012 she has made over 1000 metal works to refine her sophisticated handicraft skills. Moreover, as Kim is a material researcher she has been focusing on finding diverse materials to combine with her delicate metal skills. She thinks that lots of practices, endeavours and failures are her best teacher and her worthwhile experiences are such a valuable book in her life. Also, she pursues to keep the balance between the tradition and the modern in her work.

Victoria Goddard

May 20, 2024
by admin

My jewellery making began initially because I was bored of mass production so I wanted to make something different for myself. Other people began to show an interest and started to ask for commissions.

I mainly worked with gems and threading and beading, I decided I wanted to branch out more and get into working with silver. I then joined JASSO (http://www.jasso.org.uk/) jewellery and silversmiths Oxford where I began working in silver, I had got the bug and decided to go to study jewellery making in Italy for a course at a school in Florence for 8 months, Metallo Nobile, (http://www.metallo-nobile.com/en/index.php). It was an amazing experience living and learning in the center of Florence surrounded by Artisans and inspiration. Back In England I continued to Study and attended Courses at Holts Academy of jewellery London (http://www.holtsacademy.com/#7) for jewellery manufacture and CAD design, I continue to go to go JASSO and work from home in my studio working on new collections and commissions, I also teach and have private students.

My latest collection and project for 2019 is to make a new Japanese collection based on Wabi Sabi, beauty in imperfection. I will use an ancient technique called Nunome Zogan,meaning weave inlay. It uses ancient techniques using Japanese alloys and preparations. The metal is cleaned with magnolia charcoal an then chiseled to make a texture like material and finally inlayed with pure gold and silver and then boiled in a Japanese patina. The images of the ginko leaves and wabi sabi falling leaves are some examples,more images can be found on my instagram.

Valerie Mead

May 20, 2024
by admin

My jewellery is made of silver with touches of warm rose gold. My designs are often inspired by observations of architectural details and man made artefacts. My aim is to make easily wearable elegant contemporary jewellery with clean and simple lines. I lightly texture the silver surfaces and add tiny rose gold rivets and wires to highlight the design and add relief and colour. I also use freshwater pearls and stones. I enjoy making individually designed jewellery to commission and work in gold, silver and a variety of stones, for customers visiting my workshop, e.g. engagement and wedding rings and other special occasion pieces.

I studied Jewellery and Silversmithing at Sheffield Poly followed by a Goldsmiths’ Company Graduate Apprenticeship and a residency at South Hill Park Arts Centre in Berkshire. I moved to the Edith Road Workshops in 1984. I have shown work in many exhibitions including Dazzle and the Goldsmiths’ Fair and sell through galleries around the UK.

I have pieces in several national collections, including Green College Oxford, Sheffield Assay Office and the National Museum of Scotland. I take part in Oxford Artweeks and have a Christmas workshop exhibition. I teach jewellery design at Oxford and Cherwell Valley College.

I have been a member of OCG for 26 years.

Sophie Court

I have always had an attraction for jewellery, even from a young age. I remember being fascinated by my mother and grandmothers jewellery and was constantly spending all my pocket money on new rings, bracelets, necklaces and earrings.

I graduated from the prestigious School of Jewellery in Birmingham’s famous Jewellery Quarter in 2012 where I completed a BA (Hons) in Jewellery and Silversmithing.

I attended my first Trade Show in 2014 at the British Craft Trade Fair in Harrogate. I am very excited to say I won ‘Best Fashion Accessory Award 2014’ awarded from Attire Accessories Magazine. I have also been awarded Crafts Maker of the year 2014-2015 from Southern Voice Magazine.

What makes a piece of jewellery for me is knowing that it is unique. This is my objective to my jewellery. Every piece I make is a one off. I choose unusual, handmade papers to layer together. I laser cut the paper along with acrylic. I like mixing traditional materials with contemporary ones. I finish all my pieces with a Sterling Silver chain or earring backs.

Every necklace and bracelet charm is reversible which makes it suitable for many different occasions and outfits. My designs are simple and versatile and can enhance any outfit.

Selma Stagg

I am based in Chipping Norton, a small Cotswold town in Oxfordshire, England where I work from my studio at home. I was born in Sarajevo, Bosnia in 1961 where I graduated in Civil Engineering. I moved to England and studied Art, Design and Ceramics at Windsor College. I have been a member of the Oxfordshire Craft Guild since 2002.

I chose porcelain as the major material for my jewellery because of its unique qualities of strength and light weight. I use vibrant colours as an integral part of my designs. Each "stone" is individually shaped and moulded by hand, dried slowly and fired in an electric kiln to a dense, hard, non-porous finish. Five (or more) layers of glaze are applied by brush to both sides of the "stones" and they are fired to the glaze temperature on ceramic wires. Large, silver components are made from PMC (Precious metal clay) which is 99% pure silver.

I assemble the porcelain "stones" into the finished article by combining them with semi-precious beads and sterling silver.

Sara Withers

I have been designing and making jewellery for many years. My work concentrates on the use of unusual materials – either self made from Polymer or Resin, recycled items or interesting beads and buttons.

I have sold my work at events such as Art in Action and the Craft in Focus shows. My work is sold in a selection of shops, galleries and museums throughout Britain.

In 2019 I am part of the museum shop at Two Temple Place for the John Ruskin – The Power of Seeing exhibition.

I am the author or coauthor of about ten books of bead jewellery projects. The most recent are ‘The Encyclopedia of Wire Jewellery Techniques’ and ‘A Compendium of Jewellery Making Techniques’.

I teach bead making and jewellery making in several arts centres, amongst them West Dean College and the Oxford Summer School. Another of my bead related interests is the Arkell bead collection in the Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford, which I lectured about at the last International Bead Convention in Istanbul.

Leonie Bennett

May 20, 2024
by admin

I make fine, contemporary jewellery for everyday wear. The work is delicate and distinctive.

After studying fine art at Oxford Brookes University, I worked alongside a local jeweller before setting up my own workshop in Oxford. For five years, I attended the weekly guided studio sessions of Sonia Cheadle, London-based master goldsmith. My recent work uses fused 24ct gold and silver. When the silver is oxidised the result is a distinctive contrast of black and gold.

I have a range of earrings for non-pierced ears which are elegant, lightweight and comfortable. I also have a range of ‘bee’ jewellery – inspired by the bees I keep on an allotment in North Oxford .

Most of my pieces are ‘one-off’; some are produced in a limited range; all are made with meticulous care by hand. I am happy to work with clients to develop an individual piece.

Kumiko Kihara

May 20, 2024
by admin

When I was a child, I remember vividly that my auntie always wore beautiful hairpins. She always wore a kimono for work as she was a Japanese traditional guitar player. So her hair had to be beautifully set every day and decorated with beautiful kanzashi hair pins. They were usually silver or turtle shell inlayed with some mother of pearl or with pearls or coral. I remember the shimmer that the pearls made when she moved and the noise that the silver tassels made. I can say that my fascination with jewellery had begun there.

I was brought up in Kyoto where there are many ancient temples and shrines and a whole of history of arts and culture. Old workshops and factories where the craftsmen made traditional Japanese crafts were in every corner and you could hear them working from the streets. I am always very curious about the simplicity of Japanese culture. We say there are gods in every place, every room and every object, so I always thank them everywhere I go! That is a commitment in itself. I would like to think that the Japanese philosophy helps me to notice things that we may not have seen before, or that were once insignificant. My jewellery is like an apology and also an expression of gratitude towards nature.

Kate Wilkinson

Having trained at Bradford Art College, Loughborough College of Art and Design and then finally completing an MA at The Royal College of Art in 1996, I set up a studio in London with the help of the 1000th Crafts Council Setting Up Grant. I have been making mixed media jewellery for twenty years and now work from my garden studio in Buckinghamshire .I joined the OCG in 2016 and was delighted to be awarded runner up in the Guild Prize at the Christmas Woodstock Exhibition.

My jewellery is very much material and process led, I experiment at the bench and gather ideas whilst making endless sample units. These generally silver units then form the basis of a collection and vary in size, colour, texture and the order in which they are combined together with other materials such as semi precious beads, coloured acrylics and cork.

Texture plays a key role in my work and I emboss the silver with a variety of materials, the humblest of which often gives the most surprisingly delicate surface. In my FRAGMENT series I use fabrics that hold precious memories, I make up a patchwork of small textured silver pieces in to a larger panel which is then hung from a torque style necklace made of beautiful climbing cord, trying to make something strong and more permanent out of a fleeting moment.

ADELPHA rose from the simple notion that they are all” born of the same womb”, a simple leaf shape with a twist made using an adapted tool and a simple repetitive movement which can then be soldered together in patterns both geometric and random, varying scales and surfaces this is an ongoing collection that I return to again and again. Recently I have been adding very small detailed settings of coloured cork which add a gem like feature.

LUNA is my new work which I am eager to explore further. Here I am using the flattering combination of silver and cork to form pure half moon shapes with coloured cork inserts. I have always liked the juxtaposition of unexpected materials in jewellery and the use of the soft but strong cork and hard silver is a satisfying combination to work with.