About Gemma

"The time has come, the Walrus said, to talk of many things..."

Hi, I'm Gemma and The Silver Shed is this girl's idea of getting a life. At the start of 2012 I decided it was time to put my training in jewellery design and passion for beautiful things to good use, so I got myself a shed and made it my sanctuary.

A typical day for me now is heading out to my studio with the first of many a cup of tea, where I sketch, design, forge and photograph my way through the day, fulfilling orders and generally loving every minute. 

I am extremely lucky to live in Bath as it is a city full of history and beauty. The Georgian architecture, Jane Austen backdrop and Roman remains run through a valley on which I look from my home. The rolling Somerset hills of the West Country are also on my doorstep, so when the mood takes me I can head out and look for ideas to turn into wearable pieces of art.

I have always felt the need to be creative, making things and letting my imagination run wild. As a child I would get swept up in swashbuckling stories and fanciful fairy tales. From Peter Pan to The Brothers Grimm, these stories have stayed with me and text from them often features in my designs, along with folklore sayings and arts & crafts influenced imagery.

My studio is filled with books and frippery that inspire me and the walls are steadily being covered with postcards and images of those I admire like the illustrator Arthur Rackham, the arts and crafts movement or the St. Ives artists such as Alfred Wallis.

These images and objects are the starting point for every piece that I make. After using them for designing and developing my ideas I make a piece of jewellery entirely by hand using mostly traditional techniques. 

I love the idea that the processes I use to forge, form and cast precious metals have been used for centuries, this link to the past is something I find so exciting. 

This is just a snapshot of the things that influence me and how I work, I hope it gives you a little insight to how my pieces come to life. The alchemy of working with silver and gold never fails to fascinate me, it is so magical how a piece of blackened and beaten wire can be formed, cleaned and polished to be a precious piece of jewellery, a piece of jewellery that can mean so much to its wearer.

Thank you for checking in and having a read, please mooch around my shop from time to time as I am always adding new bits.

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