Why? I’m called Natty by many; my mum was French, and bijou means jewellery, or something small and elegant.

I seem to have a surplus of nervous energy and am happiest when my hands are busy. From little, I would like to fix fiddly things and when I discovered clay later in life, I loved its soothing effect on me. Then six years ago, I accidentally found silversmithing and I was hooked!

With lockdown and the loss of my wonderful French mum, a few quarantines from travelling to France weirdly allowed the time for me to experiment. Then a brush with cancer made me decide to turn my hobby into my life and go for it!

My influences come from travel, music, art and sculpture and the desire to create something you can’t find on the high street.

Travelling gave me the inspiration to melt recycled silver over pulses and rock salt to create unique organic shapes, reminiscent of coral, pebbles, plants and stars.

To make these little casts come to life, I wanted to add dashes of gold, as if the sun was shining on them creating shadows. So, I discovered the ancient Korean technique 'Keum Boo', where tiny pieces of 24ct gold foil are fused to the silver with heat and burnishing. Whilst this tends to result in a lot of swearing and a few burnt fingers, I love the effect and feel like a painter adding the finishing touches that make each piece unique.

I hope my jewellery brings a lot of pleasure and happy memories. Please drop me a line if there’s anything I can help you with. 

Love Nat X