An introduction to us ...

Snuggled amongst the West Yorkshire Pennine landscape, our home and surroundings provide the perfect inspiration for Ruth Makes Jewellery. My partner, Jez Coates, and I, Ruth Sutcliffe, use recycled sterling silver to create unique handmade jewellery reflecting the love we have for the moods of our local landscape, wildlife and the antics of our own pets. Natural shape, form and drama appear in my oxidised landscape, woodland and hedgerow pieces. These contrast with my more delicate birds and flowers and cat escapade pieces.

Jez has expanded his Corvid Skull collection to include rings and bangles in addition to using sand cast corvid bones. Engineered spinner rings are still one of his popular makes and he loves to experiment with texture and form with his reticulated pieces which are also very popular. He gets to use our off-cuts in his hand cast pieces which makes for a great recycling team!

Our Jewellery

Raw Materials

We predominantly use sheets of recycled sterling silver to create our jewellery. However, Jez also uses uses our silver off-cuts in his hand casting as another great way to recycle. Also included in our stock are sheets of copper and brass.

Sterling silver wire is used to create ear wires, jump rings and loops.

We buy finished recycled sterling silver chains for our pendants.

Methods

Our foremost method is hand sawing, following templates attached to the silver. This sometimes involves piercing within outlines, so tiny holes are drilled through which we insert the very fine saw blades.

My pieces are often layered to create landscapes and 3-d effects.

Jez also hand casts, using the recycled silver off-cuts, creating actual pieces or bars which he then rolls into lengths to be used for his punched rings or for pendants.

He has recently begun experimenting with etching which is creating some very atmospheric pieces.

Finishes

The finishes we offer are polished, matte brushed, oxidised and etched. Often the subject of the piece dictates the finish, for instance my atmospheric landscapes are particularly suited to an oxidised finish which creates dramatic sky and cloud effects, with polished elements too.

Jez creates mixed finish rings with polished outers and brushed inners in his spinner rings. More recently he has begun etching his designs to create an ancient look, but with a contrasting polished inner.

The Finishing Touches

Findings

We offer a choice of sterling silver chains: the beautifully fluid rounded box in 16, 18 and 20" lengths; twisted 1.2 mm curb chain and 1.5 mm rope chain in 18"; 1.4 mm belcher chain in 18"; 1.7 mm belcher in 18" or 20"; chunky 2.5 mm belcher chain in 20 and 22" lengths.

Our ear wires are hand turned .7 mm silver wire, so perfectly safe to wear, as are the silver posts with scroll backs for studs.

Brooch pins are either handmade hinges or stick pins, both sterling silver.

Hallmarking

We both have hallmarks registered with Birmingham Assay Office: RS and JC.

Any sterling silver jewellery offered for sale which weighs 7.78 grams or over has to be hallmarked.

The marks we have deep lasered into the silver are: RS or JC sponsor mark; 925 sterling silver; anchor for Birmingham Assay; Lion for British; relevant date letter.

For mixed metal pieces the word 'metal' is shown.

For the lower weight, smaller pendants and earrings we use our 925 stamp.

Packaging

Packing up our jewellery is actually a fun part of the process.

Our jewellery is presented in matte black gift boxes made from recycled materials. The boxes are now subtly embossed with our name and RMJ logo.

The boxes come within an eco black cotton drawstring bag, with aftercare postcard, a thank you card and business card to spread the word!

Everything is then packaged up in either a jiffy bag or cardboard box made from recycled materials.