Christmas or your birthday is coming up (or both, as is the case for me), and you’re asked the dreaded question “what do you want?” It’s rare I ever have an answer to this, despite having 12 months to prepare! Unless I do have something specific in mind, I tend to start looking at things I can’t justify buying myself – jewellery, for instance.
Despite knowing that made-by-hand is best for so many reasons, I must admit, sometimes I struggle to understand how independent makers justify their prices. I know that what I’m paying for is a reflection of expert knowledge and skill, the cost of materials, time, and most importantly, the personal touch.
I recently took part in a bangle making workshop led by Charlotte Duckworth of The Silver Duck here at New Brewery Arts. It goes without saying that it was an incredible experience and I've since told anyone that will listen to give it a go themselves. But the main thing I took away from the experience (apart from a gorgeous silver bracelet) – is my renewed appreciation for handmade jewellery (handmade anything, really).
Detail of my handmade silver bracelet
As with anything, the first stage in the process was design. This alone can take time while you strike a compromise between the masterpiece in your mind’s eye and your capabilities. Once you’ve set a realistic goal, you then have to figure out how to achieve it. Bangle making requires a lot of hammering to achieve the desired shape and finish. With 8 of us each working on a project, it was several hours before my ears stopped ringing. Then there's sawing if you want to make charms, stamping if you want your metal engraved, soldering to close joins or affix details, followed by putting it in what appeared to be a crockpot containing a chemical solution to remove any residue, and finally, polishing. For anybody reading this, I want to assure you that I really did have fun and I’d jump at the chance to do it again. That being said, silversmithing requires a level of mental and physical energy that I wasn’t prepared for.
II came away with a renewed sense of the enormous effort that goes in to crafting jewellery by hand. I may not make my own jewellery often, but I do now have an understanding of the practicalities of making a piece, and why charging for that hard-work, that skill, is a price I’m happy to pay.