My Love Letter collection is, well, a love letter to hand writing. The pieces, including the postcard necklace, wax seal earrings and necklaces, and a hand-carved writing hand, form a collection that I hope embodies the charm of the written word.

Love Letter Jewellery Inspiration

The collection was inspired by the romance of handwriting, in media and in real life. In our digital age, we don't think twice about contacting our friends and family with a quick message. It made me think about what it might have been like in the past, when speaking to your nearest and dearest was more of a challenge. What it would have felt like to open a letter from your partner away on business, or from a relative back in your home town.

I had also been thinking about keepsakes - trinkets from family, souvenirs from trips, and handmade objects - things that carry the power of memory, taking us back to another time or bringing someone from our past into the present.

Designing the Collection

This collection evolved over several months - I started hand carving the designs of this collection in my home studio in London, and launched it from my new home in the Scottish Borders. Each piece was hand carved in wax, or stamped from melted wax using a signet ring - read on for details.

Floral Signet Ring

The piece that set the direction of the collection was the Pressed Flower Signet Ring. This design of this floral ring features a single flower surrounded by petals. I was inspired by pressed flower arrangements, art made from carefully placing the natural shapes of dried flowers.

Wax Seal Jewellery

I immediately thought of the connection between signet rings and wax seals, used to seal envelopes for centuries. Since I make jewellery in wax, I realised I could use the age old process of using my signet ring to create wax seals, but using jewellery wax.

Once I had the wax seals, I could send them to be cast into silver as I do my other pieces, and I would have a completely unique set of jewellery. The idea for the Pressed Flower Seal Earrings and Necklace were born.

Hand Writing Jewellery

Since wax seals are intrinsically related to letters, the rest of my designs followed from there - a hand written love letter charm in three parts, a well loved postcard crinkled and misshapen from reading, a pen nib, and the statement piece, a miniature hand holding a fountain pen.

 

This theme brings together many of the values I bring to my work - the romance of tactile objects like pen and paper, doing things by hand, and treasuring handmade things.

 

 

Which Love Letter would you send?

Click below to browse the full collection, and look out for the next post where I explain more about the making process.

Browse the Love Letter Collection