Jean’s inspiration is rooted in her love of the artefacts of ancient cultures. She admires the textures, colours and purity of design, and to see the marks of the tools that made each object beneath the subtle patina of age is to see their makers’ workings back through time.
In a direct link to those ancient craftsmen, Jean uses traditional hand tools to work with the metal – piercing, hammering and shaping – her designs developing as she works. Fragments of gold are fused to silver – some pieces are oxidised for depth of colour, then each piece is hand finished with fine emery papers, with edges brightly burnished.
Simplicity of line and form are enhanced with carefully selected gemstones including pearls, spinels, coloured diamonds and topaz. All the work is hand made in her Sussex workshop and each piece is unique. Evolving continually, the collection radiates her flair for design and attention to detail.