Engineer By Day...Jeweller By Night (school)...
Engineer By Day...Jeweller By Night (school)...
After leaving university I began my double life - a successful career in engineering and an amazing hobby that satisfies my 'arty' side.
It may surprise some people, but being an engineer has helped me as a jeweller. It’s given me the ability to focus on the detail and taught me to always remember my customer. It is important to me that each piece is not only unique and beautiful, but wearable.
I have been studying, designing, making and selling jewellery for over 20 years. I've gained various qualifications along the way and tried a wide range of techniques and materials. In the last 12 years I've concentrate mainly on working in Art Clay Fine Silver*- a recycled silver which can be Assay hallmarked as 99.9% pure silver. It gives me the freedom to make the sort of jewellery I only dreamed of - and I love it!
Since 2015 I have focused fully on my jewellery business - no more double life for me!
I hope you love my jewellery as much as I enjoy designing and making it.
Don't forget to visit my Etsy shop – pop by again, there may be new things to see…
Jo Richards
Designer/Maker and founder of Faye Benjamin Jewellery
*So what is Silver Clay?
I love Silver Clay – it is a ‘green’ product (recycled from silver used in industry), fabulously versatile and truly beautiful. Silver Clay is made up of pure silver particles bound together with water and an organic non-toxic binder. It can be moulded, shaped, pressed, stamped and cut. When the piece is finished, I dry it thoroughly and fire it in a kiln. The organic binder burns away and the silver particles fuse into a solid form, resulting in a gorgeous piece of Fine Silver jewellery.
Being 99.9% Fine Silver (as opposed to only 92.5% Sterling Silver) means the piece will be of a higher silver content, less liable to tarnishing and when turned into a unique handmade piece, just that little bit more precious…
And Finally…
Why Faye Benjamin? They’re the two little people in my life. I thought they deserved some recognition for their influence in this new venture…
