a n n i e    c o o m b s

contemporary handmade jewellery in solid silver

All the work on this site is hand made in my Cardigan workshop from Sterling and Fine Silver sheet and wire*.  The silver is cut and manipulated by hand and may be hammered, textured or formed using traditional metalsmithing techniques.  Some pieces are set with precious (ruby, emerald, etc.) or semi-precious gemstones such as Amethyst, Citrine or Garnet.   
Piercing
My work is not 'cast', the mass-production method used in most high street jewellery, that is used to  produce thousands of identical pieces, however I do use the casting process in my workshop to produce a small element in a design, eg a bird or a flower. Because there are subtle differences inherent in items made by hand, if you purchase a gift from this site, you know it will be truly unique.
 

How to Buy

You can purchase on-line with complete security (credit card details are handled by PayPal's secure site, we never see the number).  In line with the  'EU Distance Selling Directive' ,  I will refund your  on-line payment if you return your purchase (unworn and in original packing) within 7 days.   Simply click the 'add to cart' button for the relevant piece and follow the on-screen instructions.    Delivery is free.  In the Cardigan area delivery by hand may be arranged.

You can also see a list of exhibitions and  galleries where you can view and purchase my work here.  Please  be aware that not every item will be on show, so before making a special trip please Contact  me first. I produce each piece  in ones and twos, so when they sell it is sometimes a while before they get replaced. 

Unfortunately my workshop is currently not open to the public. To give you a flavour of what my work involves, here is a short slideshow showing some of the steps involved in making a ring.

Making a Ring

My Inspiration

The passion for creating things has been with me since I was a small child when I first started cutting arm holes in pieces of fabric to make dresses for my dolls! I have always worked with fabric although I came to metalwork much later in life. My love of the feel of a beautiful fabric has influenced the way I handle cold hard metal. I love to transform it into something tactile or unexpected by using different techniques, usually to change it's surface properties. Because of this, my work is rarely polished and often patinated to enhance different elements of the design.

The seamstress in me also wants to create something that is three dimensional, like a garment created to fit around the human form but with the technical challenge that perspective brings to working in metal. This can be seen in some of my work that is also influenced by a stunning 400 year old sycamore in my garden. I like to enhance this perspective by using colour contrast, achieved with gold leaf or fused gold foil (the ancient Korean technique of Keum Boo) and patination alongside the silver.

Latterly I have tried to inject an element of humour into my designs and so some of my more recent pieces have a tongue in cheek caption to explain my train of thought.


*The only silver components that are not hand-made are the neck chains that are supplied free with pendants, and sometimes some small parts that have little effect on the artistic impact of the overall design, e.g. brooch catches, ear posts and occasionally ear wires (although most of my earrings incorporate hand-made ear wires as part of the design).
I also sell a small number of pieces that contain elements in fine(99.8% pure) silver that I make using  Precious Metal Clay as an alternative to casting hot metal.  This is a relatively new product consisting of silver powder with a bonding agent that can be moulded and then fired (at around 900 degrees C) to produce an item in Fine Silver.    

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