Experiments with Sea Glass and Silver

That magical beach, full of driftwood and carefully sea-polished glass, has so far proved elusive for me, despite some hunting. I've found a few pieces of sea glass over time, some still tucked away and not yet used, other gems have been made up into jewellery by myself, like this piece I made a while ago as a gift.

But recently I happened upon a small organza bag filled with sea glass, on a quiet shelf in a craft shop. I hesitated only briefly and then I bought it, unopened. When I took the glass out I discovered a typically and wonderfully muted set of colours and textures. Although I was a little disappointed at how large some of the glass pieces were, I was able to do a few 'swaps' with a family member who'd previously bought a similar bag of sea glass from the same shop.

Here's my, refined, stash of treasure...

Both the pieces of sea glass I used were quite small and I really fancied the idea of a sea glass ring so I embarked on that project first. I made myself a small band of silver using rectangular wire which I'd bought a while back and never used (and found it wonderful to work with) alongside using silver wire to create a cross-like structure to hold the glass in.

I used a similar basket-principle with the pendant I made next, adding another row of silver as the glass was (very roughly) rectangular in shape.

Despite some concerns that the wire I'd chosen was too fine (it wasn't) and that the structures wouldn't hold the glass securely (they both do), I was pleased with the end results and am extra pleased with thought of how each piece is unique, not just by way of being hand made but by way of the nature of sea glass, each piece formed slowly in the sea. That's kind of a nice feeling.

Seaside Inspiration for Jewellery Designs - May 2017

Earlier last month the sun was shining in its hazy early-spring way and I went down to the sea. The water was calm and gentle, the beach mostly empty except for a few fishermen. We sat on some rocks exposed by the low tide, and I took some photos of the colours and shapes we saw.



The curl of the beach, where the sea was slowly moving the shingle, was a nice reminder of the curves I like to put in silver wire. The rhythm of the water moving along the shoreline was hypnotic and quite beautiful.



The rocks we sat on to bask in the sunshine were, on closer examination, half covered with tiny limpets, waiting for the sea to return. The texture, and strength, of these tiny creatures was easily felt under my careful fingers. I'm pretty sure I didn't squash any although I only discovered them after we sat down...



Simple shapes in jewellery often work the best, as in nature. The cone-shape of the limpets is both strong and elegant. The colours of the shells blended in with the rocks and seemed almost a part of them until we looked closer.

Simplicity equals strength seemed to be the design message from the seaside. Gentle curves and natural movements. Jewellery, like nature, doesn't need to shout to be noticed.

Do you find inspiration in simple shapes or do more complex ones challenge you? Do leave a comment if you like, I'd love to hear what you think.