I am Dawn Easby Thwaits: a jewellery artist living on a houseboat on the River Stort in Bishop’s Stortford. I launched my first precious metals collection at midday on Friday 30th September, having been hand making and selling my own jewellery since January 2021.
My fourteen-piece ‘Windblown Collection’ has been handcrafted in ecosilver, fine silver chain, sterling silver tube, and the occasional sprinkle of blue green beads. Some of the striking designs within The Collection include the elegant ‘Zephr necklace’, delicate ‘Dancing Kite bangle’, unique ‘Tailwind ring’ and unusual ‘Spindrift earrings’.
Before completing my Diploma in Silversmithing with the Jewellers Academy, I created pieces in copper with found leaves, stones, glass and stones using a technique called electroforming:
“Ever since I was a child, I have picked up stones and shells thinking that I would turn them into pieces of jewellery one day.
The process started in earnest during lock down when I started selling my ‘found’ pieces, on foundbydawn.co.uk. The Diploma course then introduced me to complex soldering, silver clay, wax carving and adding gold accent with techniques like keum boo.
The most exciting part about it though is that I can now turn what were previously just ideas into wearable pieces of unique, handcrafted jewellery.”
The Windblown Collection was inspired by February 2022’s Storm Eunice:
“After the storm blew over and the rain finally stopped, the sun came out. Everything was glistening with fallen rain drops, looking so vibrant and alive. I was thinking too about how noisy a storm is and then the stillness and peace of the sounds afterwards, and about wind charms.
All of a sudden, the whole collection literally materialized in my imagination. I grabbed a piece of paper and sketched out the images before they disappeared. It’s those sketches that the Windblown Collection is based on.”
It has been a life-changing six months! I left my full time job in charity communications in March, having made the decision to focus on silversmithing and develop my career in jewellery design and making. It hasn’t been a walk in the park:
“It’s been quite scary to leave solid work to pursue a dream. The first couple of months I had some savings, but now I’ve started to feel like a proper struggling artist! The hardest part of all though, has been mental challenge of staying positive and believing in myself as an entrepreneur who can make things happen. Morning runs along the River Stort, meditation and support from my amazing husband, family, friends and customers, have helped me to stay (mostly) on track. That, and knowing that once the collection was real, I could share it with the world!
Some of the pieces are timeless classics, and others are more quirky or unusual, but I think generally The Windblown Collection will appeal to people who enjoy the freedom of getting out into nature and exploring the world; who love the feel of the wind in their hair and take notice of what’s underneath their feet. The pieces are airy, full of movement, light, reflections, a delicate beauty and subtle strength. A bit like the people who I imagine will wear them.
My hope is that you might find a piece that speaks to you and which anchors you to your inner beauty. Like a bright blue kingfisher on a rainy day, I’d like wearing my jewellery to be a pleasure that lights up your day... maybe someone else’s too!”
You can now find the Windblown Collection at foundbydawn.co.uk/windblown. Please note, because each and every piece is made to order with bespoke options, there is a four-week lead time between order and delivery.
Bespoke options include a choice of satin or highly polish finish, bespoke chain lengths, and exact ring sizes. Every part of the jewellery, including the individual ear wires and butterfly backs, is individually hand made to exceptionally high standards, using ethically sourced precious metals and her sustainable, environmentally conscious approach.
If you’d like to join the Found by Dawn inner circle for news, details of the handmade silver jewellery process, and exclusive offers visit foundbydawn.co.uk/innercircle.
