design process

I was commissioned by Leigh and Vicki Smith to create a jewellery collection to be worn by and celebrate their South Mainland Up Helly Aa Jarl Squad. After initial discussions with them, I created mood boards of images, played with ideas and pencilled initial concepts. Wolves teeth (the incisors, carnassials and fangs) caught my imagination and became the prevailing motif. Leigh and Vicki provided valuable feedback as designs of the ear jacket developed from my drawings.

I then created a wax carving of the Carnassial ear jacket, which was cast in silver to produce a ‘master pattern’ and used to reproduce the final pieces in a range of precious metals. Each ear jacket is hand-finished in Hoswick and Hallmarked in Edinburgh.