Cathy McCarthy

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Statement                   

Cathy is a silversmith jeweller and is passionate about designing and hand crafting beautiful jewellery. She loves working with Sterling silver, gold and semi-precious gemstones and creates original, high quality jewellery that can be worn every day and treasured forever.

Inspired by her love of nature and natural textures, Cathy focuses on creating handmade designs that are unique. She incorporates intricate detail, surface decoration and colouration in to her work.

Cathy enjoys creating designs that tell a story or captures a feeling. Many of her designs use a frame design to enclose a moment in time. Her inspiration comes from wild gardens, summer meadows and forest walks.

Cathy has always had a love of painting, drawing and making. She first discovered a passion for working with metal while studying HND design at Portsmouth Polytechnic (now part of Porsmouth University). Subsequently studying jewellery and silversmithing in Scotland. After moving to Edinburgh, she returned to education. Studying a National Certificate in Jewellery making and Silversmithing course, winning the “Stephen Betts Jewellery Award” on graduating. Cathy worked for a number of years at The Edinburgh Assay Office. During this time she gained an insight into the value of hallmarking as a genuine guarantee of quality. Cathy’s experience at the assay office also allowed her to gain a wider perspective on the jewellery trade.

While living in Edinburgh Cathy began teaching jewellery making, something that she continues to enjoy. She set up her first full time jewellery business after relocating to Brisbane and since returning to the UK has re-established her business and is enjoying finding new inspiration and ways to share her passion for jewellery and all things handmade.

Cathy is included in the following books –

Narrative Jewelry: Tales from the Toolbox, Mark Fenn, UK – 2017 www.narrative-jewellery.com

Jewellers: The Directory – Association for Contemporary Jewellery, UK – 2007 www.acj.org.uk

Memberships:

Association for Contemporary Jewellery (ACJ) www.acj.org.uk

Association of Jewellery Designer  www.jewellerydesignersuk.co.uk

Supporting the “Just a card” campaign www.justacard.org

Hallmarking and assaying: