12 24th September 2011 london selection


Precious metals on ration – the latest fashion


■ Necessity proves the mother of invention for jewellery designers


Anne Crane reports


THE Goldsmiths’ Fair, which takes place over two weeks every year from September to October, is the Goldsmiths' Company’s annual showcase of what today’s jewellers and silversmiths are making and selling.


For visitors it’s a chance to see an


impressively wide range of original works by designer-makers in both of these spheres, to buy something direct from the hand that made it or commission something as a client. Most of the exhibitors change after the


first week in order to accommodate all 168 (107 jewellers and 61 silversmiths) who want to stand this year from September 26-October 9. Any Goldsmiths‘ Fair regular will know that


one of its attractions is the very inventiveness of the pieces on offer, not just in terms of design but also materials and techniques. In fact, with precious metals soaring


in price over much of this year, there is an obvious advantage in casting the net wider. As Goldsmiths’ Hall found out when canvassing a selection of the exhibitors, many makers are adapting to meet the challenge of the increased cost in materials. Some are making the designs lighter,


others are using more silver instead of gold in their jewellery or gold plate rather than solid metal. Others have melted down old stock to reuse the gold for new designs or reused client’s old jewellery to make a new bespoke piece. Angie Boothroyd and Millie Swire,


whose work is pictured here, are two of the jewellers who have made innovative changes in this way. Increased cost of materials has to be


reflected in prices and this can influence clients' choices. Some fair participants have noticed buyers being more cost conscious, opting for silver or smaller gold pieces. On the other hand, many exhibitors have noticed that customers are prepared to accommodate higher prices and view their purchases as an attractive investment given that the gold price is rising. Exhibitor Disa Allsopp says: “I am finding


that my clients regard gold as an investment. They admire the precious quality of the material and find it even more desirable when combined with innovative design and craftsmanship.” She has been selling more 18ct yellow


gold than silver and her latest collection is dominated by yellow gold jewellery, which has been making a comeback on the fashion catwalks as the ultimate luxury accessory. As well as showcasing pieces to wear, the


fair offers visitors a wide range of useful and decorative objects and tableware via the 61 exhibiting silversmiths. They include James Dougall, who has swapped former careers as an antiques dealer and auction house partner for the silver workshop and has recently completed a hanging pyx for Holy Trinity, Cookham, the church made famous by Stanley Spencer. Further information at www.thegoldsmiths.co.uk


Above: antiques dealer turned silversmith James Dougall, pictured here in his Buckinghamshire workshop, will be standing at week 2 of the Goldsmiths Fair. “I started out as collector of things in my childhood, did my first antique fair at 16 and kept going until I was 40,” he says. “In the intervening years I, like many in the industry, spent much of my life on the road doing the trade fairs, viewing more sales in a week than is healthy and basically dealing with the trade. ”I had handled so many fabulous objects from the last 500 years that I wanted to learn how to make something. I had always had an interest in metalwares, particularly those of the Aesthetic movement onwards, so decided that I should learn how it was all done.” Following a three-year university course, James will be taking a mix that includes candlesticks, flatware, and shagreen-covered silver boxes through to a range of shagreen-covered jewellery for his second staging at Goldsmiths‘ Fair. This sharkskin and silver vase, right, is priced at £4000.


Left: the rising price of gold has had an impact on the way Milly Swire designs her jewellery. She is now making pieces as light as possible – for example by incorporating bigger spaces at the back of a setting, using lighter chains or opting for gold plating. She says it has also encouraged her to be more practical and creative in her use of materials. For example, her new Liquid collection, inspired by the ripples and patterns found in the sand and sea, features earrings and pendants that are hollow in the middle and as thin as possible, while still retaining a liquid surface. Because the earrings are lighter, big bold designs can be worn without the sensation of pulling on the ear.


Milly is one of a handful of new graduates standing at Goldsmiths' Fair this year for the first time courtesy of a Goldsmiths’ bursary. She will be at the fair on Week 1. Pictured here are her Rosalie ring in 18ct yellow gold set with a rough amethyst, £1300; Bridget ring in 18ct yellow gold set with a cabochon pink tourmaline, £1500 and Mildred ring in 18ct yellow gold set with a cabochon ruby, rutilated quartz and chrysoprase, £1850.


Left: week 2 exhibitor Angie Boothroyd melted down unsold gold disc earrings from her 2001-02 stock to create a new series of designs, including this 7½in (19cm) long Seven Suns bracelet. Made from 18ct yellow and red gold and set with multi-coloured sapphires, it took about two days to make and showcases Angie’s new technique of creating multicoloured


gold ‘swirls’, no two of which are alike. It is priced at £2800.


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