A visit to the CSM jewellery workshop

“The workshop is divided in rooms: the hammering room, the casting room, the acid room, the enamel room,the polishing room, the large machines and our benches. On a busy day, we hear the extractions, the sounds of the machines and onomatopoeia sounds like ‘ah!’, ‘shit’, ‘sorry!’, ‘fuck!’, because we all run into each other with our fire torches”- Colombe d’Humières

“Due to the extraction and controlled air in there, as well as the lack of natural light, you can forget what time it is, what the weather’s like. You may as well be underground, so a good break involves leaving the space and getting some natural light and fresh air.” – Frankie Moughton

“What material I love to work with? Metal, always metal.” – Colombe d’Humieres

“The workshop is essentially packed with a machine for anything you could ever want to do. Initially, using metals didn’t come so naturally to me, so I tended to gravitate towards the machine room where I could use wood or more unconventional materials.” – Holly O’Hanlon

“Entering into the studios was like catching a glimpse of something I was never going to reach. It felt contained, like the rest of CSM, in its own little bubble that everyone was trying to pierce… There was a real energy about the place that I haven’t seen replicated in many other places. I wanted to be a part of it.” – Lily Harte

“The lathe is so satisfying to use. The action is really soothing, and it can be used in so many different ways.” – Holly O’Hanlon

“Third year is when a real sense of community develops, as you can be in everyday and so you see everyone’s work develop. You’re all in, working lots, together.” – Frankie Moughton

“In foundation we had a very precarious workshop in Archway, and I remember coming here to spy, trying to see what could be the future.”- Colombe d’Humieres

“I’m going to miss the lathe so much! Other machines might be more valuable to my work, but on the lathe it feels very raw. You can shape the metal exactly how you want, as if it were clay. It has the perfect balance of technicality and artistry.” – Lily Harte

“When I need a break, I usually do something that involves staring into space or scribbling in a notebook while drinking coffee and eating copious amounts of cereal bars.” – Holly O’Hanlon

“My work has a lot of different mediums and techniques, but the one that I’ve probably pushed most are my enamels. Enamel is essentially coloured glass grains melted onto a metal surface, giving it a glossy coloured finish. In my case, I was trying to create portraits using stencils and different colours, but found that laser engraving on top was what created the crisp, thin line I was looking for. It enabled me to be very accurate, and helped produce an aesthetic that continued through the whole of my collection.” – Lily Harte

“When there is a deadline it’s definitely tense, everyone is a lot quieter and focused. When I come into the workshop, there’s always a buzz. Seeing what people are working on is great, you learn a lot from just observing other jewellers.” – Lucy Ganley

“Sometimes you have to leave the studio and your work, find another space or go outside. You can sometimes be too close to your work, you lose perspective. Having a break and stepping away for a minute saves time in the long run, it clears your head.” – Lucy Ganley

“This year, I was mainly focusing on transformation and construction techniques : how to break down, chop up or re-purpose waste plastic, and then how to combine them and join them to make objects and jewellery. Lots of drilling, both mechanically and by hand, and hand-stitching, I would say.” – Frankie Moughton

“This year, I was mainly focusing on transformation and construction techniques : how to break down, chop up or re-purpose waste plastic, and then how to combine them and join them to make objects and jewellery. Lots of drilling, both mechanically and by hand, and hand-stitching, I would say.” – Frankie Moughton