After years of receiving a letter of unfavourable news from The Goldsmith’s Company – this was such a good feeling to know that I would be exhibiting at the Goldsmiths’ Fair once again. It is the UK’s number one show-case for jewellers, gold and silversmiths and I am so excited to be exhibiting my work among the best designers in the country.
You may have spotted the great posters promoting the fair on the tube, put up by the communications team of the Goldsmiths’ Company. The fair starts a week today, please visit their website to buy your tickets, or contact me if you want me to buy them for you half price.
I have spent the last six months making up new and exciting pieces for the fair, and can’t wait to be there. Many of the new pieces I’ll be exhibiting use Paraiba tourmalines in different coloured blues and greens, all set in textured hammered gold which sets off the iridescence of these wonderful stones so well.
(A lot of these new pieces are away being professionally photographed at the moment. In these instances I have included photos of them in progress on my bench from the past few months - which give a sneak peek into their process!)
On the large scale are two new necklaces, one of which was my selection piece for Goldsmiths’ and is now in the catalogue: the wave pattern with five graduating facetted Paraiba tourmalines, all set in 18ct hand-polished yellow gold. The other is a large Paraiba tourmaline trillion set in an 18ct yellow gold beaten setting and hung on a hand forged torque, also in 18ct yellow gold.
A large pair of Paraiba tourmaline earrings with stunning round blue tops, with mint green pear-shaped drops – an unusual combination. As Paraiba tourmalines are increasingly hard to find and no two stones are ever quite the same, it is near impossible to create pairs, so all of my pairs of earrings are unique in this way.
I have been lucky enough to make several other pairs of Paraiba tourmaline earrings. One large pair of pear-shaped drops – which are Brazilian old material that I have had in stock (it is impossible to find new material now) with diamond tops. I have also made smaller versions of these, and pair of perfectly matched oval pairs with beaten gold tops.
I am very pleased with my new moonstone and diamond earrings set in white gold, with textured yellow gold surrounding them. I have used this combination before in a ring design but not as earrings – it is such a successful combination and these moonstones are of the highest quality.
The new rings I am particularly pleased with use stunning large Paraiba tourmalines, in green and mint green, with beaten gold bezels and shanks. Another combination I am very excited about.
New stones that I have not worked with before are Ethiopian opals. I have not quite managed to get all the pieces I planned finished in time for the fair, but this ring has wonderful colours within the stone, and I am pleased with its elegant setting.
I have also made some smaller beaten diamond hoop earrings and many others. I am excited to have them all on show next week.