How I design

When I design a piece of jewellery, I have several things to consider. The starting point can be different with each piece. 

Nature as inspiration 

Sometimes I am inspired by something particular, it could be a flower, a sea creature, or an insect and the starting point of the design grows from its shape and form.

My 'Tiny Bee Pendant' is an example of designing like this, with this amazing insect being the inspiration for the concept. I had honey bees nesting in my chimney this year and the honey they produced was delicious.

Best sellers as inspiration 

At other times, I design in a slightly more commercial way, with my business head on! Looking at which pieces of jewellery have been particularly popular with my customers, and what has consistently sold well. So the starting point for working in this way, would be by designing a new and different version of a best seller, already in my collection.

An example of this is one of my all time best sellers and signature piece; the 'Nine Pod Cluster'. This was the starting point for my new design its 'little sister'. This 'Mini Nine Pod Cluster ' is a miniature version of the original. Already the first one I made has been bought and is on its way to America, so I guess its a potential success.

Found Objects as inspiration 

When I first started in business after I left the Royal College of Art in 1993, some of my very early batch production pieces, were made using 'found' objects. I chose items whose shape and texture really appealed to me. Sometimes I used small industrial objects, or seed pods and in this case, rice pearls.

I cast some lovely irregular pearls to make silver ones; then I used them in different ways to produce unusual jewellery.

Here are the 'Rice Pearl Drop' Earrings in oxidised silver and silver using the silver pearls.

My Textured Bead necklaces and bracelets were developed, using a small steel tool that I cast, then altered and re-cast. The finish was exactly how I wanted it and they still remain one of my best sellers .The necklaces were featured in the Sunday Times 'Style' magazine in the 1990's.

Poetry as inspiration 

I have always been interested in poetry reading and poetry recital. As a school girl I was successful at a number of local poetry speaking competitions.

I sometimes like to use poetry as inspiration, in 2010 I made a large collection of batch production and a few one-of-a-kind pieces for a solo show in a Shropshire gallery. The work was inspired by the poetry and the children's books of the then Poet Laureate, Carol Ann Duffy. 

Here is the sketchbook for one of the, one-of-a-kind necklaces 'The Tear Thief'. I sold it during my solo show at, Twenty Twenty Gallery in 2010. I did make a similar piece more recently, as someone had seen it in an image and had really wanted one. Each piece was unique, as they were both made entirely by hand; even the chain and each stone, is individual.

'Finding the words' ring is inspired by the poem with its name sake. "Finding the words" is a love poem by Carol Ann Duffy, appearing in her 2006 collection, 'Rapture'. The poem describes a speaker rediscovering the simple, yet profound words of love, "I love you," at the back of a drawer, polishing them like dull gold until they shine again. It has tiny engraved words all around the three gold bands.

A Technique for Inspiration

The granulation technique is an ancient method of applying tiny spheres, or granules, of precious metal to a surface to create a textured decorative effect. This technique requires the separate creation of metal granules, which are then attached to a base metal by fusing, hard soldering, colloidal soldering. Granulation was mastered by the Etruscans and remains a highly skilled, meditative process in modern jewellery making.

I have always been dotty for dots and much of my jewellery is decorated with the spotted texture!

Here is my 'Berry' bangle made using beaded silver. I melt it and apply the beads one by one. I love the way they can be clustered together, like little bunches of grapes.

Film work for inspiration 

I have been very fortunate to be involved in making jewellery for some highly successful films. The Harry Potter commission was the most exciting job I have ever been given.

I made the Slytherin rings and tie pins for the Slytherin boys and girls in the Prisoner of Askaban and other later films.They provided the original designs and I manufactured the Signet rings. The snake on these rings was more like a dragon than a traditional snake with a huge forked tongue.

There is a big demand at the moment for chunky Signet Rings and I decided to do some sketching and try and make a ring design that I really liked, inspired by the snake.

I am delighted with the result as I wanted to create a ring base, on top of which I could place a number of different designs. So as well as a serpent, I have Serpent Skin and a plain option for engraving.

Here is the ring with my signature, 'dotty' shoulders and a very embellished decorative snake.

I was also asked to make the jewellery for Emilia Clarke in, 'Solo' a Star Wars film. I made her two necklaces; one in silver and black plastic and the other, a large gold plated arc-shaped one.

They gave me the design for me to manufacture and the result was very effective for the big screen. I was inspired to make a necklace, which is a lot smaller and in my signature style.

Here is the Astral pendant inspired by the shape with my signature bobbles and made to be reproduced in small quantities.

A Gemstone as inspiration 

I do not work a huge amount with stones, but sometimes I see a stone that I love and which makes me want to use it for inspiration. When I saw these two cats eye Tourmalines, I just had to buy them, not knowing what I would do with them.

Here is the first ring I made with the larger blue Cats Eye Tourmaline. I felt it needed to be put in a ring, inspired by the sea creature, the octopus. 

It is a fascinating type of Tourmaline that exhibits a unique visual effect known as chatoyancy. This effect is caused by microscopic, parallel inclusions of rutile, which create a narrow band of light that appears to move across the surface of the gemstone. The result is a  mesmerising "cat's eye" effect that is highly coveted by gemstone collectors and jewellery enthusiasts.

This is the smaller green Cats Eye Tourmaline produced in a slightly different sea creature; this time incorporating a gold setting.

Designing with a strong brand identity

I have to make sure all my pieces sit well with my other work. It is vital for a brand; that the products are recognisable. They have to have a feel, a look, something that ties the pieces together. I have been careful to make work that has a strong personality and has my visual style, so when you see it all together, in my shop, or at a gallery, it is in harmony. There is no mistaking that the jewellery is: Catherine Hills.

Some jewellers make a group of pieces that have no relation to each other; they all have a different style and may well all be lovely pieces individually, but they do not connect and cannot be recognised as being made by one person. 

The difficulty is making new work that sits happily together but is not too similar to another piece in my collection. The huge challenge is somehow keeping it all fresh; distinctive but related at the same time.

I also have to consider the weight of the piece, especially if it is an earring, and to keep the cost of the piece in line with my collections. I have always wanted to make affordable jewellery, that people can buy, wear and enjoy. I don't want pieces to sit unworn in a showcase, but to be worn every day and enjoyed.