Silver, Stones and Passion
It all started when I went to Ethiopia with my wife on honeymoon in 2004. She dragged me to a bead shop which had old trade beads, made of glass and stone. I was blown away by the beauty and diversity of the beads, and we bought quite a few back to the UK, and made my very first necklace.
From there I started stringing lots of beads, sometimes really long strings of random ones, and sometimes shorter symmetrical necklaces. Initially I used a range of materials, but started to specialise in semi-precious stones.
Meanwhile I had begun an adult education course in silversmithing. I was so excited to start working with silver - it was the medium I had been searching for!
Then in 2012, I was made redundant from the post office where I was a postman, and became a full time silversmith and jeweller, selling my wares at markets, fairs and festivals. And of course on Etsy!
I love to push the boundaries of the silver and make items which are bold and a bit flamboyant - just like me (or so my wife says!).
Over the years I have been influenced by our travels overseas, but I can't quite break my love of Ethopia, and especially the beautiful opals which come from there. I think a bit of Africa ended up in my soul on that trip!
I hope you enjoy my work as much as I love making it. Let me know if you have any questions about the jewellery, or if you would like to commission something especially beautiful.
