Member of the Month: Charlotte Smith
Charlotte crafts intricate, artisan jewellery, fusing enamel to precious metal to produce richly textured, miniature, wearable treasures.
From her 200-year-old nail-makers cottage in the West Midlands, Charlotte carries on a long-standing local tradition of women making from home, except rather than forging iron, Charlotte transforms precious metal into her unique, award-winning, enamelled jewels.
Each richly textured piece comes together slowly, every element hand crafted using traditional and ancient techniques. The silver surfaces are engraved by hand by Charlotte, to catch the light, before firing them multiple times in a kiln at up to one thousand degrees centigrade to produce a shimmering transparent colour.
Making, for Charlotte, is a revolutionary act in a fast-paced world, forcing her to slow down to carefully consider every mark made on the metal and grain of enamel laid. Her making process is deliberately labour intensive and detailed. It is important to Charlotte to let things take the time they take, to get them right and to really appreciate each stage of her making process.
The British Society of Enamellers has a broad membership, encompassing levels of expertise from enamel students to professional level enamellers. Our aim is to promote the highest standards of contemporary design and workmanship in all aspects of this unique and exciting medium.
UK based, the BSOE has international connections and offers exhibition opportunities, bursaries, an online gallery, industry discounts, workshops and events for its members.
Click through to the BSOE Instagram feed to see our current activity