The last March Meet The Maker Prompt is “Product Story”. I’ve been thinking about which piece to choose for this post for ages as every one of my commissions comes with a story, but I’ve decided to go with this set of engagement and wedding rings…

This March Meet the Maker post is where I teach you all how to stone set over the internet in 30 seconds!!

Ok, it’s not really. Stone setting “theory” is something that actually isn’t all that hard to learn, but doing it well, so that your stone is in straight and secure takes many many hours of practice, and lots of broken stones!

Today’s March Meet The Maker Prompt is “Favourite Collection”. Throughly is, I don’t think I really have one…I love all my children, sorry pieces of jewellery equally!

As usual I’ve got a bit behind with my March Meet The Maker posts. I think it’s probably to do with how you work through a “process”. I’ve written about it before, how when you get to the middle it all gets a bit mushy and you can loose focus, and I guess I’m at that point with the MMM prompts. So, I definitely need to push through that and get back on track!

Today’s March Meet The Maker prompt is all about detail, which pretty much sums up every piece of jewellery I make! Detail and quality finish are just the most important part of making and also what takes the most time but oh so worth it.

Well… the materials bit is easy, as that’s always my clients old jewellery, but where do I start on the tools?

A goldsmiths tools are like their babies. They’re part of you…an extension of your hands. I might make small things, but achieving that involves a whole host of tools!

Earlier last year I made quite a big decision…to only work with metals that I know have definitely been recycled from old jewellery.

“Recycled” gold and silver that carried that badge has been available to buy from bullion dealers for many years now, and I was buying that metal, just accepting that it was actually 100% recycled.

I’m liking how this year’s March Meet The Maker isn’t on every day. It means I’m not spending every evening worrying that I haven’t written tomorrow morning’s post!

Anyway, prompt number 2 is STYLE, so something I can quite easily waffle on about for a bit!I think my style has evolved over the years, but my textured surfaces and wavy edged pieces of jewellery have become quote recognisable that they’re ‘mine’.