sianelizabethhughes.co.uk/
Hi! I’m Sian 😊
I have been hand making award winning jewellery in the West Midlands for over 15 years and started my jewellery making journey 20 years ago.through birth, loss and with the beyond.
From wedding and engagement rings, to bespoke pieces of jewellery, it's my passion to create a style that is unique to each individual wearing them.
I make my recycled solid gold and silver jewellery in a little workshop from home and often use more accessible and simplified versions of professional techniques to create my handmade gold and silver jewellery.
Here are some of the common methods that I use:
1. Hand Fabrication
• Sawing and Piercing: Using a jeweller's saw, gold sheet or wire is cut into the desired shapes.
• Filing and Sanding: Hand files and sandpaper are used to refine edges and surfaces.
2. Soldering
• Simple Soldering Setup: A small butane torch can be used for soldering gold pieces together. A fireproof surface and basic soldering tools like flux, solder, and tweezers are essential.
3. Wire Wrapping
• Creating Components and Settings: Gold wire is shaped and wrapped to create rings, pendants, and settings for stones. This technique requires pliers, cutters, and a steady hand.
4. Bezel Setting
• Stone Setting at Home: Simple bezel settings can be made using basic tools. Gold sheet is formed around the stone and then soldered and polished.
5. Texturing and Finishing
• Polishing by Hand: Using polishing cloths, compounds, and handheld rotary tools to achieve the desired finish.
• Texturing Tools: Hammers and punches can create various textures on the gold surface.
6. Casting (Simplified)
• Sand Casting: A more accessible form of casting that involves pouring molten gold into special sand mould, and allowing it to cool.
7. Chain Making
• Linking by Hand: Creating simple chains by cutting and linking gold wire, then soldering the links closed.
8. Repurposing and Recycling
• Melting Down Old Gold: Using a small crucible and torch to melt down old gold jewellery and casting it into new forms.
Working from home may limit access to some advanced techniques and equipment, but with creativity and the right tools, I can produce beautiful, professional-quality and individually made modern gold and silver jewellery.