Hi, my name is Claire and I live in Bridport, Dorset.

My family roots go back hundreds of years in the parish of Symondsbury, and so, it feels very special to now have my own shop here too.

 

I first started exploring jewellery making in 2009 and then later, in 2017, I set up my business Wrixton Smyth Creations. I feel incredibly proud to be an award-winning, self-taught jeweller. I believe if you find something you’re passionate about, you will naturally absorb everything you can about that subject. 

 

I like to hand-forge the metal using traditional techniques such as hammering, sawing, melting etc , and my current favourite, using wax to build up or carve my designs ready to directly cast into my chosen precious metal, using sterling silver, 9ct and 18ct gold. 

 

My two main collections are the Jurassic coast and the Dorset countryside collections. Each item is carefully moulded from the original natural object, whether it's a frond from a fern or an ammonite from Charmouth beach.  My favourite part is foraging for the natural items. Finding the  most perfectly formed leaf, to me, is like finding actual treasure.

 

Other collections also explore my love for Colmers Hill (the famous local landmark), gemstones and middle eastern shapes and patterns from my travels.

 

My aim is to make an item that reminds you of a special place or a happy memory, capturing all the fine details, that you can take with you wherever you go.