Handmade Jewellery and Jewellery Workshops in Portsmouth
Rachael Plassard is a jewellery artist creating handmade silver and gold jewellery inspired by historical ornament, the decorative arts and natural forms. Working from her studio at Hotwalls Studios in Old Portsmouth, she creates one-of-a-kind pieces using traditional goldsmithing techniques including etching, saw piercing and keum boo.
Alongside her jewellery collections, Rachael teaches small-group jewellery making workshops where beginners can learn traditional techniques and create their own handmade jewellery.
Magical jewellery woven with memories & connection. Bespoke and one of a kind pieces inspired by historical ornament, maximalism and decoration.
Handmade Jewellery Collections
Discover handmade jewellery designed and made by Rachael Plassard in her Portsmouth studio. Each piece is individually made using traditional techniques and often inspired by historic ornament such as acanthus leaves and decorative architectural motifs.
Jewellery Inspired by Memory and Ornament
Rachael’s work draws on highly decorative styles from across history, reinterpreting traditional ornament within contemporary jewellery. Patterns are marked out and pierced by hand, and surfaces are built up through techniques such as etching, roller printing, keum boo, gold plating and oxidising, creating richly layered and detailed pieces.
References to forms like baroque frames or classical headdresses often emerge through this process, but are transformed through making into something distinctly contemporary. Each piece develops intuitively, with the final form revealed as the metal is lifted, twisted and shaped by hand.
Bespoke
Rachael Plassard accepts bespoke jewellery commissions for clients looking for a piece made specifically for them. Each commission begins with a conversation to discuss ideas, materials and possible references, before the design is developed and made by hand in her Portsmouth studio.
Commissions often mark important moments such as anniversaries, birthdays or other personal occasions, and can incorporate particular materials, historic ornament or distinctive surface textures.
Process
Each piece of jewellery is made by hand using traditional goldsmithing methods. Techniques used in Rachael’s work include:
• Saw piercing
• Etching and surface texture
• Oxidised silver finishing
• Keum boo gold application
• Hand forming and fabrication
Jewellery Making Workshops in Portsmouth
Learn traditional jewellery making techniques in a small group workshop at Rachael’s studio in Old Portsmouth. Workshops are designed for beginners and introduce tools and processes used by professional jewellers, including sawing, shaping, texturing and finishing metal.
The Studio
Rachael Plassard works from Hotwalls Studios in Old Portsmouth, a historic creative space overlooking the harbour. Visitors can explore her jewellery collections and attend jewellery making workshops throughout the year.
