Peak Inside My Jewellery Box: Earrings
Would you be interested to see the earrings in my jewellery collection? Some of my greatest friends are other jewellery makers I’ve met over the years, and I’m lucky enough to own some of their work. My collection is a mixture of pieces I’ve bought, swapped or have been given as gifts. As I was doing some organising recently, it struck me how special the jewellery collection I have gathered over the years is. I thought it would be interesting to lift the lid of my jewellery box and share some of my favourite jewellery designers, their work and stories. Most of my collection is at least a decade or two old but I’ve also included links to each of the designers so that you can see what they are up to now.
Ruth Tomlinson
Ruth Tomlinson is now known for her work with precious and semi precious stones but in her early collections she often worked with ceramics. This pair of Ruth Tomlinson earrings are old favourites of mine that I bought many years ago when we exhibited together at the Goldsmiths Jewellery Fair in London. They are great for a night out as they are very light but still striking to wear.
Joanne Thompson
These chain earrings are my most recent purchase from Joanne Thompson, who is known for her contemporary chain jewellery. I bought these during lockdown for one of the Artist Support Pledges, where artists and craftspeople committed to spend a proportion of the sales of their work on work from other artists and crafts people. These earrings are long and quite heavy but very lovely.
Disa Allsopp
These charming earring people are by Disa Allsopp who had a studio at Cockpit Arts in Holborn when I did. We’ve also exhibited at Goldsmiths and the Chelsea Craft’s Fair together. Disa was born in London but grew up in Barbados. It was this special island that influenced her jewellery designs and love of colourful gemstones. Disa also often works with recycled metals.
Kathie Murphy
A leading polyester resin jewellery designer, Kathie Murphy made these wonderful resin earrings. Kathie has been making jewellery since she was 14 and makes all of her own moulds. She hand mixes small batches of polyester resin in unique colours to create her wonderful work.
Dawn Gulyas
Dawn Gulyas and I met at the RCA, we lived together for a while and also shared a studio for three years and have remained close friends ever since. These wonderful earrings were made by Dawn and are always a pleasure to wear. Dawn works in resins, precious metals, lightwoods, rubber and steel. She is often inspired by fruit and is especially known for her mastery with Jesmonite resin.
Black Lune
I really love these rubber earrings which I bought from Jelka Quintelier, who also designs under the name of Black Lune, when she exhibited with us once at the DJG (Designer Jewellers Group). Jelka’s striking work is created by laser cutting industrial rubber to create strong shapes that are flexible and easy to wear. I love the way they really come to life when they are worn.
John Moore
Artist John Moore aims to challenge the lines between jewellery, art, fashion, craft, design and performance in his work by creating wearable objects. I am lucky enough to own two pieces of John Moore’s work, he is a brilliant maker and the son of my dear friend Jane Moore, who is also a jeweller.
Misun Won
South Korean born, Misun Won makes incredibly beautiful jewellery from her Edinburgh Studio. We have exhibited together at Goldsmiths and she’s also a fellow DJG member. I love the elegant but modern shape of these black earrings with their contrasting pearls.
Jane Adam
I love big, long dangly earrings but I don’t like having a heavy weight on my ear. These beautiful earrings from Jane Adam, who I know from my time at Cockpit Arts, are super light as they are made from coloured aluminium. Their blue grey tones work has a neutral and complement so many different outfits. Jane’s work focuses on surface colour and texture. She explores what preciousness is and aims to make the wearer feel more like herself.
Beth Legg
These oxidised silver and citrine earrings from Beth Legg are very special. They were a gift from my husband. I’m hardly ever given jewellery but occasionally see something I love and these are one of those pieces. I love the way the silver work is so delicate and ornate but the earrings as a whole are feminine and strong, not fussy.
Grainne Morton
These earrings are different to more recent work by Grainne Morton, which I am coveting and uses precious metal and gemstones. Grainne is based in Edinburgh but grew up in Northern Ireland, where she was inspired by Crafts, Folklore, Music and Fairy Tales. Grainne shares my love of antiques and ephemera. These earrings have butterflies made from laminated paper and a lovely long chain which is attached to the back of the butterfly (and used to secure the earring). They are light to wear and really fun.
Shaun Leane
I bought these Silver and pink Zirconia Shaun Leane earrings at Goldsmiths one year. I love the way the flower sits at the front of the ear and the pointed horn fits on the back and folds under the ear. Shaun was a judge on BBC2’s All that Glitters in 2021 and also won an award for his Outstanding Contribution to the Industry at the UK Jewellery Awards in 2021.
What I wear everyday
This blog about my favourite earrings didn’t seem complete without showing you the earrings from my collection that I wear everyday.
Dotty Peridot Antler Crawlers
I love the way crawler earrings, that follow the shape of the earlobe work, but they are notoriously difficult to get right. It took me a while to perfect this recent design but I’m so pleased with how my Dotty Peridot Antler Crawler Earrings worked out. I wear them often and they are frequently attract compliments. Everyone’s ears are slightly different so I’m also able to tweak things like the position of the post on these earrings so they sit just so.
Phish Drop Earrings
These long, elegant statement Phish Drop earrings are one of my favourites for a night out. Although I do wear them to the studio during the day too. They’ve been worn by actor Jodie Whittaker. They have a sense of movement, are comfortable to wear but also look so modern and elegant.
Double Oval Bobbled Hoop Drop Earrings
I wear these earrings most days in oxidised silver. I’ve also given these Double Oval Bobbled Hoop earrings to friends and have been so pleased when they have become one of their go-to pairs of earrings too. They are really light and comfortable to wear but move beautifully, elongating the neck and reflecting a hint of light onto the complexion.
Cauliflower Stud Earrings
I tend to always wear earrings as I personally don’t like the way piercings look when they are bare. Studs are easy and light for everyday and the ones I tend to wear most often are these Cauliflower Stud Earrings. Their tiny irregular dots reflect the light and appear to subtly almost sparkle.