emma brook

Brooch made from silver with gold granules and garnet cabochon.

What inspired the piece?

2021 was an amazing year for whale sightings just off the coast around Stanley in the Falkland Islands.  You could see humpback, Sei, Fin and Orcas daily.  To mark such an amazing year I wanted to include a whale theme.  The
granules are the boulder beaches from around the Headlands where the whales are seen.  Garnet is a stone for strength, and this signifies their return.

What jewellery making experience did you have before starting the Diploma?

Before doing this course I had used silver clay, but had never picked up a Jewellers saw and certainly never soldered.  The course took you through the basics and then cleverly built and grew the skills you needed.  My final project was sawing, lots of soldering and granules work, making and setting cabochons then a lot of polishing.

The final piece has received a lot of complements.  It has given me the confidence to try new techniques and not to be afraid to tackle a project with a number of different stages and elements.  It was also really good fun.

Instagram: @emmabrook91

Joanne Medway

Ring made with Sterling silver, a moss aquamarine rosecut cab and two 3mm green beryl faceted stones. It also has a mix of 9ct gold and silver granulation. 

What inspired the piece?

The stones I used were inspired by the sea, I have a photo of the water at Porthcurno beach in Cornwall and it’s the same colour as the Moss Aquamarine. The shape of the ring just came organically as I designed it around the main stone. 

What jewellery making experience did you have before starting the Diploma?

I’ve always made jewellery since my early 20’s but was relatively new to silversmithing. I’d completed a few workshop classes before setting up at home and starting the diploma in silver jewellery in September 2020. 

Instagram: @wire_and_wood_jewellery
Website: wireandwoodjewellery.com

Faye Dobson

Sterling silver pendant with Rainbow Moonstone

What inspired the piece?

The inspiration behind this piece was that I love incorporating shapes like circles, triangles, stars etc into jewellery so in this I wanted to create a Chunky Chain Necklace with a North Star pendant and set with a Rainbow Moonstone.

After researching so many different gemstones the Rainbow moonstone stood out to me the most. Not only is this a stunning gemstone but the spiritual meaning is thought to bring balance, harmony, and hope while enhancing creativity, and inner confidence. Pairing this with the North Star meaning for direction, balance, harmony and hope seemed so right and relevant too me and my Jewellery journey.

What jewellery making experience did you have before starting the Diploma?

I had absolutely no experience in making jewellery before, in fact the first time I ever picked up a Saw or a torch was in this diploma. I remember feeling petrified of the saw and the first terms lesson in sawing but after sawing out my first piece I was hooked and loving it all so much I didn’t want it to end. 

Instagram: @bellula_bling

elizabeth brett

Statement necklace with sterling silver, copper, fine silver metal clay with gold accents and rose cut green onyx cabochons.

What inspired the piece?

For the final piece I’ll admit I got inspired to make a ‘show stopper’ type piece after watching ‘All That Glitters’! The starting point for the design was a photograph of some microscopic stress fractures in metal (my Dad’s a metallurgist and the picture was randomly at the back of a family photo album). I played around with some of the shapes of the fractures using techniques from the diploma design module until I had a lace-like pattern I liked and then found the flower shapes for the silver clay with a bit more playing. I really wanted to do a mixed-metals piece and loved adding in the green onyx as I think it is beautiful with the orange tones of bright copper.

What jewellery making experience did you have before starting the Diploma?

Before starting the course I had little actual jewellery making experience, I made some jewellery out of beads when I was growing up and I did do a silver ring making course with LJS about 10 years ago but never got any further after that! Although I’d not made much jewellery I had a lot of experience making scale models, including things like miniature chandeliers, so I had some transferable skills that were useful in the course. I used my model making techniques to make the silver clay pieces out of card and paper first, then made a silicon mould of them to press the clay into.

Instagram: @elizabethbrett91

emma sabberton

Piece 1 – round cut out pendant. The stone is Blue Lace Agate set on the Sterling Silver base with 9ct gold tube settings with Clear Zircon.

Piece 2 – cut out pendant with druzy stone. I love druzy stones as they are each unique. The pendant is made with Sterling Silver and Sterling Silver tube. The stones set in the tube are clear Zircon

Piece 3 – cut out pendant with handmade chain. This piece is made my Sterling Silver.

What inspired the collection?

For my final project I submitted 3 pieces, as each piece represents a different part of my style.  I often find myself sketching down ideas without truly always knowing where they come from.  I have been sketching black and white patterns for many years and I have drawn inspiration from these drawings. 

Over time the allure of the architecture in the Middle East where I have lived for 13 years has seeped into my style.  The Iranian patterns and colours are stunning, with shades of blue in harmony with each other.  I love to see the Islamic and Arabic architecture and patterns, they have a repetitive charm to them. I have been surrounded by this and have unconsciously soaked in the grace of these patterns. The mosque ceilings and the patterns in the facades are truly exquisite. Now my life has taken me to Singapore and I am excited to see how this beautiful place will further influence me and my jewellery designs.

What jewellery making experience did you have before starting the Diploma?

I joined the Diploma in Silver with no knowledge of making but I do run a business where I work with a third party factory who brings my jewellery designs to life. I mainly create popular culture jewellery for clients especially for weddings. I work mainly on commission basis but have a small collection available. I am hoping to expand this.

Instagram: @ladyemmasabbs

Suzanne Ekdahl

Sterling silver bracelet with 9ct gold tubes and granules. The gold tubes were set with some cubic zirconia stones. The bigger stones are blue goldstones cabochon that are set in silver. 

What inspired the piece?

I got the inspirations for my bracelet  from the week in the silver Diploma when we made a mood board and a technical drawing. I got the shape for the bracelet from the back of a chair that was on the mood board. I then made a technical drawing of it. So for my final piece I was curious in how the technical drawing would work in real life, so I made a few changes to it and made the bracelet.  

What jewellery making experience did you have before starting the Diploma?

I started to make beaded and leather jewellery about 15 years ago. And about 10 years ago I went to an evening jewellery class thinking it was beading but turned out to be a silver making class. I got hooked and did some more for some years. I decided I needed to focus on one type of jewellery. I  found the London jewellery school and went for the silver Diploma class and it’s the best thing I have ever done, I absolutely love it. The things I learnt here is amazing, I only wish I had done it years and years ago. 

Website: www.see-design.net

Instagram: @see_design_jewellery

charlotte bradley

Mary-cait Love