jillybishop — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 14:49:56 +0000

Hi. Welcome to JEWELLERY BY JILLYBISHOP DESIGNS

If you love Jewellery, you’ll love this blog.

I design and make contemporary jewellery that is unique to you. Most of us have had ideas about the sort of jewellery we would like to wear, but just don’t see it in the shops – well now, you can tell me your ideas and I can make them for you.

Whether you want a plain wedding ring, or something completely off the wall, let me know. I will let you have a design and the cost within 14 days. If I can’t make it, I will tell you immediately.

I work mainly in silver, with or without gemstones, but can use any metal, or acrylic, or textiles or paper. The choice is yours – its your jewellery!

I make my jewellery in my small studio at home. I’ve been making jewellery for 10 years and have had my work in The City Gallery, Leicester; Ten2 Gallery, Hinckley; The Gallery, Hinckley; Artful Expressions, Birmingham and several others.

I decided to work to commission only because YOU know best what you want.

These are some of the pieces I have made

Sterling Silver and Copper Ring

This ring has copper tube insets along the top edge. It can be expanded to fit any size, a feature which can be applied to any ring

Palladium Wedding Ring

This wedding ring, made for my friend Lucia’s wedding, is plain, 2 mm wide and made from Palladium – a metal much used in industry but only recently popular for jewellery It is stronger than silver but not as expensive as gold. Although silver in colour, it has a darker shine than silver. Very attractive.

Sterling Silver and Quartz Necklace

Sterling Silver Pendant and Earrings

This necklace was inspired by the box it is displayed on. I made it for myself to wear to Lucia’s wedding The stones are quartz, very inexpensive but very pretty

This silver pendant and earrings were made by a process called Reticulation – which means that the metal is heated up to its hottest temperature possible and annealed seven times or more. This causes the silver to rise above the other metals contained in the metal and it melts on the surface. Once molten, it can be dragged to form abstract designs, and other pieces of metal can be added to create the pattern. I love reticulation – it’s so satisfying to create a piece of jewellery that you have so little control over. And if I make a mistake? – simply remelt it!

Perspex and Sterling Silver Pendant

A pendant made from layers of silver and perspex, held together with silver rivets. Working with perspex is almost the same as working with silver – it cuts and polishes in the same way. Of course, it can’t be soldered, hence the rivets!

Copper Hair Ornament with Silver Pin

I don’t always use precious metals. This hair ornament was made from copper, althoughwith a sterling silver pin to keep it in place. The ornament was made by saw piercing the design from a sheet of copper. Any design can be saw pierced into metal (I think! – someone is bound to come up with something that is impossible!). Life would be a lot easier if I had a laser cutter to use, but then, it wouldn’t be all my own work – would it?

Sterling Silver ring with Polished Glass settingFused Sterling Silver Pendant

Sterling Silver Necklace

The leaves of this necklace were textured by passing them through a rolling mill sandwiched between rough sandpaper.

Sterling Silver and Copper Makume Gane Ring with Garnet Setting

This ring was inspired by the pleated designs of Issey Miyake. The fan shaped pieces on top were made using the old Japanese technique called Makume Gane – whereby many layers of different coloured metals are soldered together, then etched and pressed using a rolling mill, revealing the now abstract design in the metal.

All jewellery made of precious metals (silver, palladium, gold etc.) will be Hallmarked at the Assay Office in Birmingham and stamped with my Maker’s Stamp – JB. (Hallmarking adds at least two weeks to the overall making time).

Hallmark on Cufflinks

Tell me about the jewellery of your dreams, and I will design and make it for you. Contact me by email at jillybishop@amberwebs.com.

Hello world!

jillybishop — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 13:07:56 +0000

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JillyBishop Designs

Hello world!