Handmade Jewellery - London Studio Tour
Jewellery Studio Tour in SW London
Take a peek around my jewellery studio, where I create all your handmade jewellery, and learn a little more about me and my processes.
I am grateful to have a creative space and dedicated jewellery studio in my garden to work from. I guess it’s unusual to have a big space to use for a small business in a maisonette like mine - two bedrooms in the London suburb of Twickenham.
The studio was here before, built by the previous couple, he was a musician and music teacher and she was an artist. They used it as their own creative space. When I moved in it had a creative feel to it despite being empty. I felt warm there.
I painted the studio building with a green wash, and over time filled it with my creative things as my small business grew.
Organising my Creative Space
I arrange my jewellery studio into zones, which helps my unorganised brain stay organised.
Jewellery Craft Tools Storage
A few years ago I built cupboards for storage along the back, with a wooden worktop solid enough for hammering and holding jewellery pegs. The extra surfaces meant I could run silversmithing workshops (which everyone loved and I hope to do again). The cupboards hide all manner of things. Other storage is a mix of rustic crates and printers trays, to an IKEA classic or two. I also have a pegboard above the jewellery bench.
Naturally I couldn’t resist adding my own flavour to the built in cupboards and painted leaves over them using various green emulsions from different brands. I also used my space as a consultation room for psychotherapy one day a week until recently, so I was fairly restrained and kept it minimal.
I also added two more windows. Let there be light!
My Jewellers Workbench
This is the alchemy area, the jewellers workbench. Its higher than a normal table to protect your back from hunching over. It has a curve cut out where you sit so you can get close. It’s often covered in silver dust and scraps of silver, and half finished experiments that I’m not sure how to complete. Not yet. I clean it for photos and occasional visitors but otherwise I am quite good at shutting it out.
Silversmithing Tools
Silver melts and shapes are formed here. I have a myriad of tools I need on the top and on my peg board. Silversmithing is a wonderful activity though most of us build up our tools over time. One small file can cost £30 so we start with a basic selection and work our way up.
On the bench is solder block or heatproof mat - mine looks a little tired but it does the job. This protects the surface from burning when I have the torch on, without burning itself. The torch is mainly to melt the solder - the solder flows between two or more pieces of silver and adheres them together at high temperatures. I also use the intense heat to create the recycled pebbles and anneal (soften) overworked silver.
The Bench Peg and Files
Soldering often leaves a ‘lumpy’ area which needs filing and sanding down, at the end of a leaf for example, or the top of the poppy seed head. The cast pieces come back to me with a silver ‘sprue’ which need to be removed by filing and sanding too. I have a series of files and sandpapers to remove excess metal and file it down and down until it is smooth. I quite like the ‘labour’ of this, though I sometimes use my Dremmel, its still quite a lot of messy work. I like to earn the finished piece.
The bench peg is there to support the pieces, they are usually quite knarly looking with dips and cuts to suit what the maker makes. I use a suede finger protector though my nails still always look atrocious. I would bet you good money you wouldn’t be able to find any silversmith with nice fingernails!
After soldering and filing I use a natural pickle solution to remove the oxides from the jewellery, before putting the silver in the tumble machine for a few hours to polish it up.
Jewellery Assembling Area
Assembly Table
I spend a lot of time at this table. I bought it on eBay, it’s an old treadle table - though to heavy to take to craft fairs.
All the finished pieces are kept in the little cubbies, drawers and printers trays. I like to stay ahead with bestsellers, and usually have some ready to go, such as the oak leaf, hydrangea, cockle shell and ginkgo leaf necklaces amongst others. I assemble them into your necklaces, bracelets, earrings etc here. I shape and polish them, and package them in their cosy gift box with an inspiring quote and pretty business card.
I also often hand-make little cards (when I have time; you can forget it at Christmas when you’ll get something simpler!) for some customers who want me to send the pretty packages directly to the recipient for a personal touch.
This is also where I will design new pieces.
Jewellery Packing Area
Once the jewellery is in the boxes I bring them here to package them up. If I do it all in the same place I get buried in jump rings, chains, tissue and twine. So I do it standing by the window where there’s space (sitting down is the new smoking, right?). I need the wide cill so I can fold the tissue paper (recycled and acid-free) into the right size to line the boxes.
My teenage daughter (the original Grace Flora) sometimes helps me get these boxes ready in busy periods (for hard cash).
I sprinkle over dried petals. I like my customers to have a lovely moment as they open their package, even if it’s a gift for someone else. The packaging has a natural, rustic feel. I pop the gift box inside with the twine and quote card and seal it up ready for the post office run.
A Garden ‘Office’ for Nature Inspired Jewellery
My garden is small and L shaped; my studio is plonked on one large corner. I have a couple of seating areas even though its tiny. When its fine I sometimes file off of the sprues out here. The silver blows off in the wind and I get to be outside listening to birds and trees (and planes).
On nice days I do my small business admin out here, while Pepper sniffs around and guards us against cats and squirrels.
I hope you enjoyed this tour of my jewellery studio. I am grateful every day to have this creative space to work in. It is a pleasure to run a small business without having to go too far to do it. It is also great to have some canine company.
Photos taken by the wonderful photographer Hannah Argyle or find her on instagram @hannahargyle
View Silver Sea Shell Jewellery
