The Beginning
Jewellery is in my blood, I come from a family steeped in jewellery and watch making history. It is a part of who I am and has played a huge part in my life, shaping and helping me find meaning and purpose.
My Great Grandfather Horace was a horologist, he created the inner workings of clocks, timepieces and jewellery, who passed on this love of making jewellery to his son (my Grandad Fred) who became a watchmaker and jeweller. Horace had three sons, my Grandad Fred, my Great Uncle Jim Hickling and my Great Uncle David Hickling.
My Great Uncle David was in the jewellery trade, primarily buying and selling vintage jewellery, he had a keen eye and was skilled at finding beautiful pieces that were unusual and always with the most interesting details.
My Great Uncle Jim Hickling was an avid create and author, he made exquisite pieces of miniature furniture for doll’s houses; exact replicas with gold gilt and precise details, his book on jewellery making is still a top selling resource for jewellers today “Practical Jewellery Repair”.
My Grandad Fred followed the family trade to become a jeweller, he spent many hours as a small child exploring the treasures within. As a child, I was free spirited and found the constraints of school rules difficult, I was a bit of a handful for my mum at times and found myself escaping to a small green space near our home for peace and solace.
Being surrounded by nature in this tiny enclave was my earliest memory of feeling perfectly still, experiencing a sense of mindfulness and connecting with nature. It was a refuge from the challenges of life and a place where I found inner peace. It is this early experience I come back to in my work, I am inspired by nature in all of its facets and find this inspiration both uplifting and reassuring.
Finding my own style
I have my Grandad Fred to thank for teaching me the art and skill of jewellery making. When I was unable to pursue a career in education, due to choices made early in my teenage years, he came to the rescue by offering me the opportunity to work with him in his jewellery shop.
Grandad Fred let me watch as he created beautiful pieces and let me try my hand at making own work. I was captivated by the beautiful precious stones and metals and the potential for expressing my ideas. I found myself getting lost in the process and experiencing an inner peace as I worked.
My Studio
At the workshop in Nottingham, your visions become reality. This is where I make all of the bespoke jewellery. I also offer a repair service for most items of jewellery. This ranges from resizing rings if they don’t quite fit to redesigning and remodelling the jewellery using the metal and stones from your own piece. I additionally offer a personalised engraving service. Please ask me for further details about this. Please feel free to take a look at my Instagram and Facebook pages as clients often post pictures of their new jewellery so you’ll be able to see some real life feedback.
The Future
My vision is to continuously expand my knowledge of the industry as well as taking the necessary measures to ensure and improve the quality of the products. I want all my clients to know that no matter who you are, your bespoke jewellery will be crafted and delivered with love and care; I treat my client’s jewellery like it’s my own.
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