About me...
After working in the educational sector for 30 years, I was exploring new lines of interest. I initially signed up for a cookery course in a beautiful region of France but was soon introduced to the art of making jewellery with Silver Clay.
Upon my return to London, I invested my time, attending Silver Clay courses at an Art Studio in Hatton Garden followed by a Masterclass in France. As my skills developed and my interest and joy of designing and making jewellery grew, I furthered my skills by completing the Art Metal Clay Certification Level 1 and 2.
Putting my training into practice, I now love working in my home studio in the leafy Chilterns area in Buckinghamshire, designing and crafting my jewellery for others to enjoy wearing.
Why art deco?
My designs are inspired by the Art Deco Era of the 20th century, showcasing straight lines and 'mathematical' shapes, such as circles, squares, hexagons and triangles.
Art Deco jewellery symbolised a time of optimism, social and cultural
change.
What is Silver Clay?
Silver Clay is a recycled product from sources like electronic components, photographic waste and industrial byproducts.
Silver Clay is of a clay-like consistency achieved by an organic binder and water mixed with recycled silver particles, a fine powder with a high purity of 99.9% Silver. This eco-friendly process is down to recycled material being used, with minimal waste.
Silver Clay can be moulded, shaped, textured and refined before being fired with a jeweller's torch or in kiln. After this process, gemstones can be set and 24ct gold paint can be applied.
The result is a beautiful piece of jewellery of hallmark quality.
Other Materials I love to work with.
I mainly use Black Onyx, a semi-precious gemstone belonging to the Quartz family. It is easily identifiable by its jet-black colour and has a highly polished surface. To achieve a uniform black colour, the stones go through a treating process.
Onyx is known as the stone of protection as well as promoting strength, self confidence and wise decision making. I use Black Onyx cabochons for my pendants and Black Onyx beads for my bracelets.
Accent Gold for Silver is a 24ct gold paint, which fuses with Silver Clay and is applied to fired silver jewellery pieces and adds a luxurious touch to a final design.
For my bracelets, I also use Howlite beads, semi-precious gemstones which are naturally white stones with black veins. Howlite stones are know for their calming energy and building inner strength.
I also love working with Black Spinnel beads which are of a deep black sparkling colour. They are known for their powerful protecting and grounding properties.
Hallmarking
Any pieces of jewellery made from silver or indeed gold, platinum
or palladium over a certain weight need to be hallmarked to give you the
confidence that the piece of jewellery is genuine. Silver jewellery over the minimum weight threshold
of 7.78 grams needs to be hallmarked by law.
I am registered with The Goldsmith’s Company Assay Office in London. The
three compulsory hallmarks are the makers mark, the metal and purity mark and
the Assay Office mark. A hallmarked date
letter is optional.
Caring for your jewellery
To look after your Silver Metal Clay jewellery (99.9% purity) it is best to keep your
pieces in air-tight bags with anti-tarnishing properties to prevent the tarnishing of the silver. Please avoid bringing your precious jewellery pieces in contact with chemicals, such as perfumes, hairspray or lotions. Remove your jewellery before bathing or physical work.
To clean your pieces, us a soft toothbrush and warm soapy water, this
applies to jewellery pieces with a gemstone too. A specialized polishing cloth also helps to restore the shine of your silver jewellery.
A silver cloth is enclosed with your purchase.
Customer Service Commitment
At Silver Deco Designs, my customers are at the heart of everything I do. I strive to provide you with a friendly and professional service. I listen to your feedback and resolve any queries quickly. I will provide honest and accurate information about my product. Jewellery is often a gift to others or oneself. I am hoping you enjoy wearing your chosen piece of jewellery or gifting it, as much as I enjoyed making it.
