Our Handmade Process
I never feel like I stress this enough, all of our work is made by hand (with the exception of chains and clasps) many companies claim "handmade" but actually they are handcrafted i.e. they buy in findings or cast items. There is nothing wrong with this, it's a great way to make jewellery, I prefer getting hands on with the metal not just the hair!
Working from my jewellery bench the precious metal, either silver or gold is formed into the desired shape. This involves a lot of cutting, hammering and bending. Metals are joined together using solder which is a special mix of alloys that when heated form a liquid that flows between the metal and then when cooled forms a solid mass in the join, a bit like superglue. The metal then needs to be pickled to remove residue and the polishing task commences, going through main grades of sandpaper until all the dents and scratches have gone before using polishing compounds to create that shiny finished product.
The horse hair is braided by hand, usually first so can make the metal fit the hair. For rings and bangles the hair is braided last to fit what I have made. This process can be as time consuming as making the metal parts as I often re-braid to avoid twists or unevenness that can occur when working with hair.
The hair is fixed with epoxy resin to ensure it will stay in the frame for a long time, and if we ever need to remove the hair for a repair then heating the glue releases it (eventually).
I take great pleasure in working with Silver and Gold, they are such lovely materials and all the processes are still as fascinating now as they were when I first learnt the craft.