I thought it might be nice to think about about my Lover’s Eyes this February (♥️); how they’re made, the history of the jewellery that inspired me and how they’re commissioned.
How They’re Made...
The first stage of making a Lover’s Eye ring is designing the ring itself. I start, as always, in my sketchbooks; taking inspiration from the collections at the V&A and British Museum.
The first stage of making a Lover’s Eye ring is designing the ring itself. I start, as always, in my sketchbooks; taking inspiration from the collections at the V&A and British Museum.
I then carve the design out of wax...
...which is cast is Gold or Silver, depending on the commission. I finish this cast ring by hand-filing and polishing it in the studio. This ensures I retain the nicks and bumps of the wax carving that I feel makes each ring so unique.
| And finally, I get each crystal cut exactly to size... |
| ...before setting it into the ring over the miniature painting! |
Watch Partnership Editions' visit to my studio to see how the rings are made
Next, you choose your metal from Sterling Silver, Gold Vermeil, 9ct & 18ct Gold and lastly you send me a photograph of the eye you would like painted..
Et voila!
Et voila!
What’s Their History?
Lover’s Eye miniatures first became popular in the late 1700s by French aristocracy and were originally given in secret as a way of keeping a (literal!) eye on lovers. Later they were used as love tokens and eventually in the Victorian times they became Memento Mori.
This cheeky one is one of my all time favourites...
Lover’s Eye miniatures first became popular in the late 1700s by French aristocracy and were originally given in secret as a way of keeping a (literal!) eye on lovers. Later they were used as love tokens and eventually in the Victorian times they became Memento Mori.
This cheeky one is one of my all time favourites...
I was thrilled to have an interview about my rings in this month's Homes & Antiques for Hannah Longstaff's piece about the revival of Lover's Eyes.
Would you rather? with Stephen Elwyn
(who took these beautiful photos of my rings in the studio!)
What's your favourite way to eat potatoes? Roast potatoes, golden with a nice crisp
What recipe do you cook for your loved ones? Usually a one pot dish, never anything too fussy
What do you cook when you’re sick? Soup!
What is studio lunch? Typically leftovers but my favourite treat is a falafel wrap from Beirut Canteen
(who took these beautiful photos of my rings in the studio!)
What's your favourite way to eat potatoes? Roast potatoes, golden with a nice crisp
What recipe do you cook for your loved ones? Usually a one pot dish, never anything too fussy
What do you cook when you’re sick? Soup!
What is studio lunch? Typically leftovers but my favourite treat is a falafel wrap from Beirut Canteen