I made my first visit to the Goldsmith’s Fair yesterday, and loved it so much I went again today! What can I say, other than “wow”! Firstly, I have never seen so much hand-made, quality jewellery under one roof before! And secondly, the whole event was just really inspiring – could I be here in x numbers of years?
Highlights of my whirlwind visit:
Vicky Ambery-Smith
Hands down, this was my favourite stand – I adore the building shaped, structural rings. They are very realistic and the attention to detail is phenomenal – I don’t know how comfortable they are to wear, but if you wanted to make a statement, this would definitely be a way to do it.
Craig Stewart
Right next to Vicky Ambery-Smith’s stand was Craig Stewart’s Mokume Gane work – this was the first time that I’d seen this technique close-up. It’s really beautiful – I’ve been playing with texturing for the past few weeks, using a rolling mill, hammering and etching. While this isn’t texturing, the patterns are amazing. I’d love to give this technique a go!
Sarah Herriot
Personally, I love jewellery that has been inspired by geometry or structures and that’s why I loved Sarah Herriot’s Escalator Brooch and Ring in oxidised silver. That said, I had no idea the pieces were inspired by an escalator, but I can so see that now that I go back to the pictures! There’s something very mesmerising about these pieces that just make me want to keep looking at them.
Olivia Schlevogt
These pieces were pure simplicity – completely clean lines in the silver, accented with gold lines. The matt finish is really appealing to me – another technique to put into practice in the coming weeks. Sometimes, simple really is best.
Julian Stephens
I thought Julian Stephens’ work was some of the more intricate looking work that I saw at the Fair. I had the pure joy of trying on one of his armlets, which was just amazing – Julian took the time to explain to me how it was made. The one thing that stood out to me was his passion for making jewellery! I really enjoyed talking to him and about how the piece was made. I will definitely take a walk over to his workshop next time I am in Brighton.
Loved the Goldsmith’s Fair – I think I will make this an annual visit (probably to the dismay of my husband!)
