'When I give my jewellery as a present, I feel like I'm giving protection to someone I care about...'
- Sofia Boutella
Atelier Access All Areas: Tools
Here's a picture of some bohemian flowers scattered across one of our work tops. There's definitely a charm to the trade of jewellery with its fascinating tools and hands-on work. While mostly a piece of jewellery is seen in its finished form, what's forgotten is the hours of processes which have produced it.
Here we have a borax cone and a dish. Luke mixes the borax with water to make a flux which is used as a soldering aid to make the solder flow.
The metal slabs may be a simple tool used for placing piping hot pieces but they are highly valuable when you want to put a diamond down and find it again!
If you have any questions about making jewellery, we are happy to answer.
Paris 2017
We were just in magnificent Paris, the city of elegance, grandeur and nonchalant style. The sound of accordions by Notre Dame, the smell of crêpes and art in every corner left us alive with inspiration. Here's a film made by our resident filmmaker showing our favourite places, the ones we didn't want to forget. What's your favourite part of Paris?
National Endangered Species Day in the USA!
It was National Endangered Species Day in the USA yesterday!
Seeing as the US is such a vast, diverse source of beautiful nature and wildlife, we thought we'd celebrate the day too. And who better to be a mascot for nature than the humble bumble bee?
There has been an 87% decline in the rusty patched bumble bee population since the late 1990s, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). Rusty patched bumble bees now remain in just 13 states, down from 28. And they're important little creatures, pollinating more than 90 commercial crops including nuts, fruits and vegetables!
This day is about focusing on the need to protect and save threatened and endangered animal and plant species.
Let's #savetogether
Exhibition Inspiration: Drawn from Life: People on Paper
Sketching is a key part of Luke's design process, so seeing this exhibition of talented artists was hugely inspiring. The sketches showcase various techniques, drawn in black chalk or coloured pencils. The exhibition is a must-see, especially if you are a creative.
Beaney Museum Inspiration
Luke's inspiration comes from many different places. Galleries and museums are a treasure chest of ideas. We went to The Beaney one morning before the city had woken up and saw beautiful works of art. We stood hypnotised by striking, life-like paintings and gazed at jewellery from Greek and Roman times. It was an incredible reminder that the same things fuel good design again and again: quality and fearless experimentation. The sheer range of colour and form in the museum is striking.