Caroline Reynolds
“Every piece of jewellery I make has a little piece of me in it, it evolves from my love of nature and the desire to create something of lasting beauty.”
Caroline Reynolds studied jewellery design at Central School of Art having been encouraged to do so by a close friend serving an apprenticeship at a local jewellers. Illustration had been her first thought following Art Foundation, after she had fallen in love with the drawings of Arthur Rackham, but it is in making that Caroline found the most joy. The ability to create miniature landscapes, shaping silver and gold using gemstones and pearls for colour and detail, to make precious objects became her passion. The natural world combined with fairytales and romance is the inspiration behind Caroline’s designs.
One of her desires is to maintain the practice of ancient craft skills, which are threatened by the rise of technology. Although it is possible to cut corners and speed processes up by using computers and machinery, Caroline prefers to use the old skills, particularly saw piercing, and over lockdown she began learning to hand engrave.
In recent years, recycling and ethical practices have taken an important role in trying to follow the practice of ‘do no harm’, avoiding the use of precious metals and gemstones mined using dangerous practices. It is a great pleasure for Caroline to reuse family heirlooms, breathing new life into tired, outdated pieces. The history and the fond memories are preserved and the jewellery can be worn and loved again.
