Lucy Jane Walsh
Alongside making jewellery I work in horticulture and environmental conservation. A wonderful mixture of growing plants and working with a charity to restore local inshore marine habitats on the west coast of
Process
Ethically handcrafted using eco friendly, recycled silver and gold salvaged from waste products.
The recovered precious metals are ground down to a fine powder and mixed with a natural binder and water creating a clay type material or a paste. The paste is hand painted in many layers onto the specimen, or the specimen is pressed into the clay to create a detailed impression.
After drying, sanding and fixing findings, the piece is kiln fired. During firing the water and binder burn away, allowing the precious metals to sinter, leaving pure silver. At this point 22 carat gold can be added and the piece then re-fired to sinter the gold to the fine silver. Finally the piece is burnished and polished by hand.