I came to making Historical Jewellery from a rather unusual direction.
When I was little, my family often visited antique fairs and there I developed an interest in antique silver. I loved collecting silver teaspoons and other silverware. Not until my family moved to Suffolk in 1999 did I start to think about how the pieces were made. In Suffolk, I was a historical re-enactor at Kentwell Hall, Long Melford.
In 2005 at one of the Tudor re-enactments, I was taking part as a Tudor craftswoman, I first picked up the silversmith’s fret saw and realised from that moment I was hooked!
For sometime I didn’t have the means or the space to explore silversmithing and at this stage never thought I would ever become a jewellery designer and maker. However, after the 2005 Tudor event, I found a silver jewellery making evening course in the local college run by Ian Goldsmith (yes his real name!).
It was 2 hours a week on a Monday night and was very full. I attended for a term and learnt to cut, shape, solder and in doing so, created my first ring.
After that, students were open to choose what they wanted to make next and I chose to mix my love of history with jewellery and decided on a medieval design dating from 1490.
On nearing it’s completion, I wanted to learn how to set stones, but Ian was unable to give me the time during the lessons so I taught myself. Through trial and error I made a small piece set with cabochon gemstones.
During the next couple of years I continued to attend Ian’s own new jewellery school for hints, tips and general guidance and also attending West Dean College for weekend short courses in silversmithing and enamelling. I experimented with different historical designs and with encouragement and challenges from family and friends in Kentwell Hall, built up a portfolio of pieces.
In 2007, I set up Gemmeus Historical Jewellery, and began attending local craft fairs to sell what I had made. I continued running the business in my spare time while working full time in an office. In November 2010 I took the plunge and gave up the office job to run Gemmeus Historical Jewellery full time. Was very scary to do that…but I don’t regret it.
Over the past nine years, I have exhibited at various historical events, reenactors fairs and high quality Craft and Design shows around the country such as: London Jewellery Week; Living Crafts (Hatfield House); Chatsworth Country Show; Burghley Horse Trials and Leeds Medieval Congress to name a few.
I have also completed pieces for BBC TV series Wolf Hall and display items for National Trust; English Heritage (Dover Castle); Wallis Collection; Desborough Heritage Centre and Guines Museum in France (near to the location of the Field of the Cloth of Gold). I have also supplied The British Museum in their Grenville Gallery Boutique for special exhibitions.
In more recent years I have worked closely with Colchester Castle reproducing the Roman “Fenwick” Treasures (more on that in the blog pages and at Colchester Castle website).
This year I will continue to work with Colchester Museum on their new exhibition “Adorn” where I will be giving talks and workshops. 
Throughout my full time jewellery career, I have created pieces from pendants and brooches, rings to crowns. The range has been expanded for actual reproduction pieces or inspired designs, spanning the time periods from Roman to Art Deco. Pieces can be used in historical re-enactment as well as be unique statement pieces. In the last couple of years, I have taken a keen and focused interest in Anglo-Saxon Garnet inlaid work and to the other extreme, Georgian design.
In 2018, after having gained a good grounding in handling and using a wide variety of Gemstones in my work over the years, I finally managed to start on formalising my Gemstone knowledge and gained the “Foundation Certificate in Gemmology”. I am currently studying for the full Gemmology Diploma with Gem-A which I hope and aim to complete in January 2020.
If you would like to commission a unique jewel that offers an alternative to the high street, for yourself or for that special someone, please contact Nicky on 07720840024 or email enquiries@gemmeus.com
Please return regularly for further blog features and updates on Gemmeus Historical Jewellery.
