Q & A | Rosie Clayden Design | Introduction & Review

Rosie Clayden is a jewellery designer that lives in Brighton, UK. She currently works full time in the North Laines and spends her days creating, mending, and designing beautiful pieces. She has an amazing skill set which enables her to create stunning fine jewellery out of precious gemstones and various tones of gold.

I stumbled across her Instagram page a while back and was instantly mesmerized by the alluring array of images she posts. Eager to get in touch with her, I messaged her and asked if she would kindly answer from questions for me so that I can share her story of how she came into the world of jewellery design and where she gains her inspiration from for you on this blog.

 

It is so interesting for a jewellery lover like myself to get an incite into the industry from someone who designs and creates beautiful jewellery on a daily basis and I am very excited to share this Q&A with you;

What inspired you to learn the art of Jewellery making?

My first experience of making jewellery was during my foundation year where I learnt to cast pewter using cuttlefish bone. I remember feeling proud with the funny little objects I had cast. I wasn’t completely sold at this point though and went on to study 3D Design & Craft at Brighton University. I am glad I did this because it allowed me to work with a range of materials including wood, plastic, ceramic and metal. In my final year I focussed on refining my jewellery skills. Working with precious metals, I created a collection of poison rings after being inspired by sixteenth century jewellery. I love the intricacy of jewellery and the challenges you are faced with working on a tiny scale.

Do you find it easy to gain inspiration for new pieces and collections?-Where do you gain most of your inspiration?

If I am making an engagement ring, this process usually starts with the stones. I will sit and carefully handpick individual stones and they often influence the design or way in which I use them. Trying out the positioning of stones on a piece of plasticine can help me to realise the best arrangement for the stones.

I also get inspired by nature, in particular insects! I have not had the chance yet to express this through my jewellery but hopefully in the near future this is something I can dedicate some time to.

When do you feel the most joy/reward from what you do?

I feel the biggest reward when I am able to learn a new technique through the making of a piece. I enjoy all aspects of the making but when I learn something new, it becomes more exciting and I feel a sense achievement even if it does take me a bit longer to make.
Its also rewarding when someone really loves and appreciates something you have made.

What are your future goals for the next season and 2017?

My future goals are to expand my collections and continue to make quality handmade jewellery. I particularly enjoy working with rose cut diamonds so expect to see more unique cluster engagement rings.

Will you be attending any Jewellery shows/events in 2017? If so, which ones and why?

For the past few years I have attended the International Jewellery London show. It has a huge range of jewellery suppliers from loose stones to tools and packaging. Each year this gives me the opportunity to try out new tools I am in need of and search for particular stones I have been looking for. It is a good opportunity to network and meet other designers. I also enjoy visiting other shows and craft fairs including, Etsy Made Local, Made Brighton and Artist open houses.

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Rosie has dedicated an Etsy site for her handmade creations, a Facebook page and the afore-mentioned Instagram;

Etsy

Facebook

Instagram

Rosie’s approach to showcasing her jewellery is by giving us an incite into the intricacies of her work. I love that we get to see how the jewellery is being made and the idea of potentially owning a piece that has had so much hard work put into it makes for a fantastically, loveable and personal outcome.

Check out Rosie’s pages for more images of her work, where to buy, and to keep up to date with her collections. A few of my favourites below;

 

EAN Jewellery | Introduction & Review

One of the great things about writing this blog is being introduced to local businesses and designers. I love talking to people from the local area of Brighton and I am very excited to introduce EAN Jewellery to you all.

Elizabeth Anne Norris is a jewellery designer from Hove, and has been designing and creating stunning jewellery since 1999. Her collection is influenced by nature, delicate and intricate textiles and everyday luxury. EAN offer bespoke commissions, jewellery making courses, and a wide range of jewellery to purchase. They have a hugely eclectic range of predominantly silver jewellery and yet the versatility is endless.

Elizabeth has been kind enough to send me a beautiful necklace from her range earlier this week;

The pendant arrived expertly and beautifully packaged with a handwritten postcard, perfectly incorporating the pendants name ‘Adventure Awaits’ within the message. I adore how personal the package felt when unwrapping it. It was almost as if the pendant was created and designed specifically for me and that a lot of thought was put into creating the perfect gift.

Adventure Awaits | EAN Jewellery | £35.00

‘Adventure Awaits’ is a stunning, silver pendant that was inspired by travel. Elizabeth told me that she made this piece for a friend who was leaving the UK to go travelling and I love this sentiment. I went travelling last year and couldn’t think of a more fitting present to take with me and wear for the whole trip.

The necklace itself is sterling silver and the pendant is double sided with hand stamped lettering and star features;

The chain is 45cm in length, and the diameter of the pendant is 10mm by 1mm thick. The necklace, once worn, feels lightweight-which I love! It’s a great balance of dainty and yet the chain itself feels strong and capable for everyday wear.

This pendant, and the rest of the EAN jewellery collection is available on a variety of online shopping platforms;

Etsy

Ethical Market

Folksy

Elizabeth also offers jewellery making workshops, including making your own wedding rings-amazing idea right? I have met plenty of people who love the idea of being part of their wedding ring designing, however to actually have a hand at making them is such an amazing and unforgettable experience.

I definitely have one of these jewellery making courses on my list of things to do in the new year. I have never created my own jewellery before, as admittedly i’m not very creative! However, by receiving such a unique and personal service from EAN jewellery when being gifted with this stunning pendant, I am encouraged and feel very welcome to enter the workshop being guided by Elizabeth. To find out more about having a go at creating some wonderful pieces, take a look at her site;

 www.eanjewellery.com

I have listed below a few of my other favourite pieces from the EAN collection, however please do check them out for some wish list inspiration and gift ideas!

Jewellery Gift Ideas for under £50

If you are anything like me right now, you are wondering how on earth you are going to afford dinner tomorrow night-let alone what to get your loved ones as Christmas pressies. So every year, around November time, I tend to write a list of people I want to buy for and a little budget next to their name, total it up, and then cry for half an hour because I can’t afford Christmas! This then causes me to put it off completely, get into a state of denial that Christmas is coming and panic buy things on my credit card on Christmas eve.

Trends | Druzy Jewellery

Druzy is the rough, glittery, and sugar-like effect featured in the below image. It is basically tiny little crystals that grow over minerals and stones over millions of years. There are so many types of Druzy crystals as there are so many minerals and variations that these beautiful Druzy stones can be formed. Each stone boasts a variety of different characteristics; such as, colour, shape, size and cuts.

Sparkle & Rock | Unboxing & Review

Since I started this blog in June 2016 I have been scouring the internet for a brand like Sparkle and Rock. I have heard of monthly jewellery subscriptions taking off in the US, but never found one within the UK until Sparkle and Rock got in touch with me earlier this month. Sparkle and Rock are the UK’s premier jewellery subscription service and the idea is very simple;

October 2016 Wish List

As we approach the festive season, my wish list is literally growing by the hour! It’s been very hard for me to narrow down my list to just a few to present to you for this month. This Autumn/Winter season brings us statement necklaces to show off over our big winter knits, a mix match of earrings; studs and hoops, and continues to let us play around with ring stacking (new favourite hobby).

Event | Alex Monroe GoldCrest | Silverado-Brighton

So  this is a little post today with a snippet of what I got up to this weekend. Saturday, October 8th, I popped along to Silverado in Brighton as they were hosting an Alex Monroe ‘Goldcrust’ event to honour their new collections and pieces within their fine jewellery ranges. I was mesmerised as soon as I saw the treasure chest displayed proudly on the shop counter. Almost too scared to touch any of the diamond pieces, I edged my way forward and was treated with the below delights;

September 2016 Wish List

We are officially in Autumn now so I have decided to base my September wish list on items that I would love to wear over the autumnal season.  There is something very comforting about wearing your favourite oversized, knitted jumper and slinging on a statement necklace, feeling cosy yet stylish and ready for the day ahead. I rely on jewellery more than ever in these cold months, especially when I’m layering up on all of my clothes and don’t want to feel too ‘covered up’. Autumn/Winter 2016 is all about statement pieces, mix and match earrings, floral & pearls.

Q & A | SVP Jewellery | Introduction & Review

I am very excited to write about this brand and introduce SVP Jewellery to my blog. Sarah Parham, a British jewellery designer, launched her range in January 2014 and since then has created a unique, creative and modern style with a variety of collections that are ever-growing. Follow the link on the image below to find out more about Sarah and what SVP Jewellery stands for;

I have been lucky enough to do a little Q & A with Sarah herself this week and I hope you all enjoy reading it and hopefully gain some inspiration from it like I did;

Celebrity Engagement Rings | Shop The Look

Have you ever looked at the rock on a celeb’s hand and thought ‘WOW, I wonder how much that cost?’ or ‘Where did they buy that from?’ This is something that I always want to know every time I see that there is a newly engaged celebrity couple walking the red carpet and flaunting their whopper of a diamond.  I have done some research and narrowed down some of my favourite celebrity engagement rings, some of the most unusual engagement rings, and a few classic solitaire style diamonds in the mix too! More importantly, where to buy similar designs and how much that purchase will possibly set you back (or set your partner back);