We all have a bundle of rich and diverse stories and narratives which make up our unique selves and lives. I’m fascinated by these. From an early age I was captivated by the narrative within books. As my curiosity and world grew, I saw stories and meanings in my environment, in the landscape, the natural world, people that I met and the comings and goings of the sleepy Somerset village where I grew up. Our stories help us to make sense of our world, they make us what we are and define our identity.
Connection with wildlife and the landscape has always lifted me out of myself, time spent in the natural world has heightened my curiosity and wonder at bigger things. I have my own father and Mother to thank for this. Both passionate biologists, one a zoologist and one a botanist, they were the perfect team to encourage their children’s interest in both the animal and plant world. Added to that their recognition of the importance of creativity and exploration, it’s not surprising to find that both my and my sister have careers in the creative world.
As a jeweller specialising in commission pieces, I feel privileged to be part of the collaboration between my customers and myself. My aim is about capturing their story, and portraying the elements that my customer wants embodied in the jewellery they seek.
One recent commission was actually not from one but two customers – two sisters, who share a close relationship, but naturally have some differences in tastes and character. They came with the sad news that they had lost both Mother and Father in quick succession and wanted their parents’ wedding rings crafted together into two identical memorial rings that they could wear all the time.
They had spotted my work and were drawn to several of the collections. The theme of swans and the wave designs resonated with elements of their family story. As I also specialise in remaking old pieces into new, they felt I was the person to design and create their memorial rings.
One sister explains: “Our Mum was drawn to swans as a child… She used to imagine herself curled up and safe within the swans wings… that thought really helped her get through some very difficult years. Our father was a captain in the Merchant Navy for 33 years… To us, our rings not only blends the gold of the bands they wore for 52 years but signifies safety, protection and a lifelong love.”
To go about making the rings, I melted the two 22ct wedding bands together and rolled the ingot out into a long bar, with a rolled edge on two sides. The paltinum which was from one sister’s unwanted band ring had to be wrought with a different approach. Platinum cannot be melted and made into bar at the jeweller’s bench – the melting point is just too high. So I had to use the shape that it came in from the ring, and forge what I needed for the swan’s head and neck from that. The 22ct gold is very malleable and easily worked, so the tapered shape bent round into a pleasing wave shape. I was careful to finish it with different angles to give the wave a three dimensional shape.
This commission reminded me, once again, that jewellery is never just about materials or technique, it’s about memory, meaning, and identity.
This was written and published as part of the ‘Hidden Gems’ series of articles by Erica Sharpe for the Western Daily Press.
