Lucy Spink, an emerging designer and jeweller based in Flushing, debuted her new collection at IJL in London recently.

With coverage from trade press and a prominent position at the show, the Kickstart exhibition helped to put Lucy’s work in front of new quality buyers and galleries.

Having been recognised as an emerging talent, Lucy has received support and mentoring from the annual IJL Kickstart programme, as well as from the Cornish start up team Breakthrough. She has also been helped with funding from the Cultivator Cornwall enterprise scheme for creative talent and this, with backing from Cornwall Council, the Arts Council and the EU, has meant that Lucy has been able to take up the place she won at the IJL exhibition to show her jewellery in a prestigious trade environment.

Lucy’s new collection, Synthesis, draws together two recurring themes - monolithic standing stones and lichen formations. She uses 18ct gold detailing to convey her fascination with how closely our lives were once bound to the rhythms of nature, and the importance she places on natural environment in contemporary society.

Working in sterling silver and 18ct gold she uses ancient techniques, preferring to use traditional tools – with their time and work-worn surfaces - from her granddad’s workshop to keep her anchored to her inspiration. She hand textures and hammers each piece, allowing the marks to remain as an integral part of the surface. This shows how each piece has been formed providing a glimpse into the art of the jeweller, the craftsmanship and the time involved in creation.

Lucy is largely self-taught, having spent time in the studio of Bruce Moutett in Trinidad and studying under Victoria Walker in Cornwall. A background in fine art and time spent outdoors walking each day in the beautiful local area, inspire and influence the way she crafts her jewellery.

Lucy said: “The support I have received from Breakthrough and Cultivator has been so important to me both financially and by giving me greater confidence in what I am doing. I would recommend them to anyone who is starting on the road of self employment.

“My aim is to create jewellery which is easy for everyone to wear yet thought-provoking in the message it carries. As someone who observes the changes in the seasons at close quarters, I want to remind people that our natural environment is precious. Now, more so then ever, we need to think carefully about our place in the world. My design and style has been born out of my love for the rhythm of nature and our deep ties to our landscapes.

“To go to IJL from Cornwall has been a huge opportunity to place my work in the heart of London and the international market place. Creating work in my studio, looking out across the Cornish landscape, it is very exciting to think that my designs have been seen by so many people who have a real passion for hand crafted jewellery."