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Isabella Day & Ford Hallam
T
he Remarkable Goldsmiths has been welcomed into Dartmouth’s thriving local
and independent town centre shopping scene with open arms. Master Goldsmiths Ford Hallam and Isabella Day
are rare alchemists who shape, forge and hand-craft exquisite jewellery at their new Atelier in historic Foss Street. With a combined experience of over 50 years at the bench, the couple describe themselves as ‘real old- fashioned goldsmiths making remarkable, contemporary treasure.’ Ford, a master Goldsmith of
40 years, is the world’s leading expert in decorative Japanese metalsmithing and his work is held in prestigious collections such as the V&A and Kiyomizu Sannenzaka Museum in Kyoto, Japan. Isabella is a Goldsmith of 15
years who has an eye for colour and tone in jewellery design. In 2022, she has been shortlisted for Designer of the Year 2022 with the National Association of Jewellers and has also been awarded her Fellowship with the Institute of Professional Goldsmiths.
everything - we buy 24 carat gold bullion which we melt down and fashion into chains, tubes and sheet jewellery. Unlike jobbing jewellers who buy in a piece of sheet or wire we make everything ourselves; and we also create our own alloys, mixing gold with copper, silver or palladium.
Isabella
Why did you open a shop in Dartmouth? Isabella: I started off working in Birmingham’s jewellery quarter and in 2017 moved to South Devon to open a workshop in Cockington. Ford worked from home. We moved to Lower Norton just outside Dartmouth during the height of the Covid pandemic in 2020 and I decided to look for somewhere closer to home.
We saw a little sign in a shop window in Foss Street saying it was for rent, and it was perfect. We both work from the shop studio now. The whole of Dartmouth has been wonderful, so welcoming and pleased we are here, and that’s been really nice.
What is a Goldsmith? Ford: A Goldsmith is master of the material. We have full control of our medium and we manufacture
Who are your typical customers? Isabella: I don’t know that we have typical customers, there are a whole range of people – young people in particular are very invested in the experience. Many want something special for their weddings. We do a ‘make your own wedding ring’ day where people come and learn and make their own rings for each other, or they commission us to make a pair of rings that no-one else will have, that tells their story. That is a clear trend.
We see an awful lot of people
who have inherited jewellery that isn’t their style but has sentimental value. We can remodel it for them into something they want to wear. Other people commission pieces.
Do you combine your skills on items? Isabella; Sometimes we work together and other times we select jobs. If they’re really technically complex Ford will more than likely
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