Saying Hello
Welcome to the W&S journal - a space where I'll be sharing what I've been up to at the bench and providing a little more insight into what Wild & Sapphire is about.
Today I'm writing about working with chalcedony & moonstone (with a few tips on how to care for the latter) and providing an in-depth look at how I source these stones and why.
There's also a little piece about my process as a creative & silversmith, and what drives my decision to work in a fairly old school way, despite the factories and automation that are widely available in the industry these days.
I hope you find it interesting.
❤︎
January Blues - but in a good way
This month I’ve been working with beautiful chalcedony...
... pronounced “kal-seh-duh-nee” in case you’re wondering :-)
A form of semi-opaque quartz in the pearliest shade of blue, it's one of the stones I learned to set with, and holds a special place - I've loved spending time with it again.
The collection that I made was for a local shop in Barnstaple and they are now there awaiting their forever homes, but I still have a few stones set aside for some pieces for my website.
So happily, I’ll be staring into that dreamy blue yonder for a little while longer yet.
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There’s also a little bit of moonstone on my bench right now and this needs almost no introduction - I’ve never met anyone who doesn’t love it.
Being a softer stone though, moonstone does require a little more TLC ... so that love I mentioned earlier is going to come in handy:
Caring for your Moonstones
Relatively speaking, moonstones are easier to scratch or break than say, a quartz or a jasper, and knocks and drops really must be avoided at all costs.
So, if you are a clumsy person who is always bashing into things (I see you... I am you) then maybe go with a tougher gem, or at least, opt to wear moonstones on the lower risk areas of your body (as pendants or earrings) which don't naturally bump into things as frequently as rings do.
In all cases, prolonged contact with water or exposure to harsh chemicals is a no, although you can still clean them with warm, gently soapy water, and lastly, please don’t take them in the sea as the salt can cause structural damage to the stone.
Despite all this making moonstones a little more high maintenance, their unique beauty make them worth it in my book, so I'll always make the odd piece for anyone who feels the same way.
From Mine to Market to my Bench - an insight into my approach to sourcing
Both the chalcedony & the moonstone I use are fully traceable and are sourced from a trusted supplier.
She & her family own a mine in the mineral rich region of Minas Gerais in Brazil, and offer various quartz gems including amethyst, crystal and citrine, whilst the chalcedony & moonstones come from other small scale, artisanal mining operations in the same area, who my supplier purchases from directly.
Being able to offer stones to the market this way is quite rare, and so as a jeweller, deciding to only work with newly mined stones that are actually traceable to the mining site can definitely have its limitations - particularly in terms of the quantity, cost, cut, or type of gems I can access.
But, I really do believe the benefits outweigh any cons.
It's so special to be able to pinpoint the exact corner of the world that a gem came from and I know that a lot of my customers also appreciate having that connection to our earth’s history in this very specific way.
Most important to me as a business owner though, is being able to feel confident, on an informed basis, that all mining and cutting operations that I am supporting with my purchase have been undertaken responsibly.
In practice, this requires having sight of the journey of the stone.
There is no other way around it.
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This realisation dawned early for me. A year or so into my career I stumbled across Human Rights Watch's report "The Hidden Cost of Jewelry" (available here) and discovered how widespread the problems in the mining industry are.
I also learned how the inherent opacity and multi-layered, fast-moving nature of the traditional supply chain means any abuses that do take place are very quickly and effectively hidden.
The report is long, and shocking in many places, but the most striking part for me was that of an estimated 40 million artisanal miners in the world ...
"an estimated one million—and possibly many more—children work globally in artisanal and small-scale mining, in violation of international human rights law, which defines work underground, underwater, or with dangerous substances as hazardous and, therefore, among the worst forms of child labor"
A one in forty chance may seem small but it's a risk all the same, and is more likely to affect someone who purchases significant numbers of gemstones (i.e. jewellery makers like me).
Ultimately, this just wasn't something I could overlook with a bit of wishful thinking. While figuring out traceable sourcing can be tricky sometimes, it's completely worth it for me for the peace of mind.
Looking Ahead ... and at my process as a silversmith
I was delighted recently to find a new supplier of jaspers, also sourced in a way that I feel happy is both socially and environmentally responsible... and importantly, traceable.
Having already made a couple of pieces, I’m hoping to build a full collection soon ... think earthy tones, unique patterns, and oxidised silver patterned with stamped or carved details - you can see a sneak peek in the photo above.
To be honest though, my plans could definitely change last minute and inspiration may strike & take me somewhere else entirely - that's one of the perks (and risks) of working for yourself I guess.
Whatever I do, I am expecting my next collection to feel quite different to the more ethereal looking designs I’ve been making lately. I find it more interesting and motivating to keep things varied, and so I've never expected Wild & Sapphire to fit into one aesthetic box. There is just too much I want to explore creatively.
Old School Silversmithing - my why
This need for variety is also a big part of the reason that I choose to work from scratch, using the same basic materials (wire, sheet, chain and tube) to build things by hand from the ground up.
It does take longer, but it also means that I don't have to commit financially (mentally, or emotionally!) to any specific design like I would if I relied on a factory to mass-produce my components.
Working from scratch and as a traditional silversmith also means I have the skills & resources available to reclaim every gram of material I may use, refine it, and just make something different with it, so there is never any waste if I change my mind or something doesn't sell.
Basically, everything is geared towards keeping my options open on any given day of the week and working in a way that aligns with a butterfly brain that wants to flutter around lots of different flowers!
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At this point, I feel pretty free creatively and that is what I seem to need right now.
Things aren't completely mapped out (and probably never will be) but I do know there are lots of adventures waiting along the way for Wild & Sapphire.
They will come when they are meant to & that's good enough for me.
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I hope you enjoyed this update - thanks for taking a pause from your day to read it.
If you have any comments or questions, I’d love to hear from you. Feel free (always) to drop me a line via the below.
Vic x
