Symmetry, Botanical Elegance & Glass

Hello, I’m Sarah of Violet May Jewellery

Based in the historic town of Belper, Derbyshire—the birthplace of the cotton industry— I design and craft every piece of Violet May Jewellery using traditional silversmithing techniques.

Influenced by the sweeping curves of Art Nouveau, the bold symmetry of Art Deco and the spirit of the Arts and Crafts movement, my jewellery explores botanical forms and geometric structure.

My jewellery combines traditional silver jewellery making with inclusions of my own glasswork.

My love for glass started when I was a child, captivated by the sun shining through prisms in the film Pollyanna. That early wonder at light and colour stayed with me and eventually glass became my favourite creative discipline to work in.

I learned the fundamentals of glass making during an enriching year at the University of Wolverhampton. It was there that I explored a wide variety of techniques, including kiln forming, glass blowing, casting, architectural glass, cold working and mould making.

To enable me to continue with my exploration of glass I attended a days 1-1 session with an experienced lampworker to learn the basics of making beads over a flame. Through this I became fascinated with the colour combinations and patterns that can be produced within the flame.

I learned traditional jewellery making techniques at an evening class taught by a master gold and silversmith whom I subsequently worked for as their assistant for a year. Over the years I have developed my own style and way of working. First using traditional sterling silver and later Argentium® silver.

As someone who personally reacts to the alloys found in traditional sterling silver, and unable to wear sterling silver earrings it was important to me to use a metal that is kind to the skin. I decided to work exclusively with Argentium® silver for its purity and hypoallergenic properties.