Times are changing, and so are approaches to creating jewellery. More and more people are aware of the urgent need to protect our planet, to upcycle or recycle rather than to discard or throw away. The jewellery market is changing too. Gold is highly valued at the moment, platinum less so; and palladium is making itself known as another sophisticated, naturally white, precious metal. Also, in the current Covid crisis, people are being more careful about what they spend and how they spend it, reassessing what they own and thinking about how they can upcycle it. All these elements are leading the surge in demand for bespoke jewellery items created from preloved pieces, in other words, making something new from something old.
During lockdown so many of us have been clearing out our homes and finding things we no longer need or want. Most people have old or broken bits of jewellery lurking at the back of drawers or in dusty boxes pre-owned by someone else, an aged aunt or grandmother. Maybe you have a bracelet that doesn’t fit, a ring with missing stones, or a necklace that was given to you by a loved one but just isn’t your style. Maybe you know its history, where it came from, who gave it to whom and so on. You also know you’re never going to wear it, but you just can’t bring yourself to part with it. With my fourteen years of experience in the jewellery business, I am passionate about using existing resources to remodel and modernise pieces rather than seeing them melted down or simply ignored. If you’ve ever wondered what to do with these pieces, while wanting to honour the memory of the person who gave it to you, I can help.
I create and recreate jewellery that is made to be worn. I will work with you to make something beautiful that has meaning for you; something you will be proud and happy to wear, something that will tell its own new story.
– Sarah Heulwen Lewis