I am happy to wrap and send gifts direct to recipients with a note - just specify their delivery address when you check out (I use either special delivery or track 24 so you can follow it round the country to the recipient). I cut and polish my own fordite, surfite and bowlerite, I'm happy to take commissions.

Handmade sterling silver jewellery with weird and wonderful stones because those are the ones I like.

I am an ex chemist and it turns out that all the years I spent growing crystals what I actually wanted to be doing was setting them so that I (and others) could appreciate their beauty (NB I don't actually use any of the stuff I made in the lab for my work) so I now hand make sterling silver jewellery featuring interesting stones. I have folders of unset rocks and am always on the look out for more different ones so if you want me to find you something specific then let me know.

One of my favourite materials isn't a mineral at all - its a totally man made and called fordite. Fordite is layers of car paint that built up in the old spray booths of Ford factories and is only made in small quantities made since the introduction of air extraction and electrospray techniques. Each plant has its own distinct colour palette which varies depending on the era, its own version of polymorphism you could say and there I go again (your eyes are glazing over I can tell)... Due to difficulties in getting hold of this stuff I have had to learn a bit of lapidary as it is easier to get the rough and cut/ polish it myself (this does mean if you have a special request I might be able to do it as I can cut it to size/ shape, I have no control over the patterns though). I am always on the look out for other sustainable materials to recycle into my jewellery and have recently moved over to using recycled silver as well.

I learnt my skills doing evening classes at one of the tech colleges in Cambridge but now operate from my little workshop at a bench made for me by my father in law from two desks rescued from a skip. Designs get contemplated whilst I'm down the allotment (I find digging is a good way to clear the mind) just me, the robin and rather a lot of tomatoes. I tend to let the stone take centre stage with a simple setting rather than something fancy and since the stones are unique each piece tends to be a one off.

My makers mark is registered with the London Assay Office and when necessary that is where pieces get sent for hallmarking. I keep my own stamp so that I can mark all items with my makers mark, you can spot it in some of the photos but I do try and put it somewhere less visible.

Still want to know more (and see the mess that is my work room) head over to the Folksy blog where you can ready my meet the maker interview! https://blog.folksy.com/2018/08/06/fordite-jewellery-sasha-garrett

Thanks for reading - Sasha Garrett

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