Helen Burgess

From a young age I had always had a fascination with jewellery. This started while raiding my grandmother's jewellery boxes. I studied Art & Design at Colchester Institute and went on to Buckinghamshire Chilterns University, where I studied three-dimensional multi Disciplinary Design. The degree allowed me to study a wide range of disciplines ranging from ceramics to architecture. Although jewellery design and making did not feature heavily in my degree, in my spare time I was always making the odd piece here and there. Once I had left university I found that I was spending more and more time making jewellery and developing my own personal style.

I have recently set up my own silver smithing workshop. The pieces I create use a range of techniques such as silver smithing, enamelling and bead craft. The forms that I create within silver smithing are influenced by both nature and the industrial world. Preferring to use semi precious stones and beads due to their natural diversity in colours and pattern within them.