Origin-ality (jewellery)

The most frustrating thing about doing this job is falling in love with particular pieces, being desperate to feature them on mirrormirror but knowing that the wholesale price will just make it impossible for me to sell it and make the sort of margin that makes sense for me.

I don’t blame the craftspeople at all – after all they need just recompense for their talent, for the many hours of work they’ve put in and often for the top quality raw materials which they use in their work.  

But going round Origin had me wincing with frustration – so many gorgeous but expensive things for which very few of my customers would be willing to pay the retail price.

I’ve seen Hannah Louise Lamb’s gorgeous cutouts and inlays in silver at various exhibitions.  The examples she had on display were all hideously expensive (particularly the ones I really liked, as is always the case) but I see that she has cheaper pendants and earrings on her website, so might engage her in conversation at some point.

 

Also there was Cally‘s great heroine Grainne Morton.  I love, love, love her work, but it’s just too expensive formirrormirror.

On a similar theme was this enamelled jewellery from Jane Moore which was, as they say, close but no cigar (what on earth does that mean?)

 

On a more contemporary note I also liked Joanne Thompson’s beaten silver hoops (particularly in their simpler and less hoop-y incarnations; a silver bracelet I tried on looked stunning)

 

 

and Alison Macleod’s combinations of matte silver hoops, semi-precious and plastic hoops from bra-straps (yes, really).

 

I’ve just realised that I’ve still got more to talk about but I’ve got some new products that I promised myself I’d get onto mirrormirror today so there’ll be more from Origin very soon.