Hand made Silver Fold necklaces.

Whichever way look at my fold series of necklaces and earrings, they show a different and elegant view.

Each piece is a fully thought out three dimensional shape with an inside, an outside, soft textured surface and highlighted edges.

Sometimes making repetitive units can be a meditation at the work bench but it is always hard work. The perennial jewellers problem is how to I hold on to small and delicate parts whilst working on them.

This short time lapse animation shows the process from start to finish.

Whether using silver or gold the process is the same. I begin by texturing a flat sheet of metal using rollers and paper. Once the metal has been prepared I score the shapes using a darning needle and copper template, each piece is then cut out using a piercing saw. I use a mandrel and a swage block to form the curves before folding and soldering to complete each bead. Finally I link the beads using silver or gold jump rings.

The difference between a great piece of jewellery and mediocre one is making sure even the tiniest details are perfect. In order to ensure that the finished piece is correctly proportioned I carefully make the jump rings required to link each bead by hand. The jump rings are made by winding precisely measured silver or gold wire around a mandrel until it forms a spring. I then cut each link from the spring and after joining a pair of beads solder it closed.

I've been continually refining my technique over the years but it still takes several days to complete a single necklace and each one is completely unique.