meet our makers

Our artists are very important to us. Obviously they make us all manner of lovely, quirky and beautiful things, but in the end what they make defines what iapetus is. So we are very, very careful to make sure we find the best artists and designers around creating items we truly love. Oh, and we only work with artists who we like, so we promise you won’t find any snooty prima donnas here!

Find out all about our wonderful artists below, and click on the artist name to see their range.

adele taylor

The lovely Adele Taylor hails from Sheffield and has been a regular at iapetus since we opened in 2006. Her quirky work consists of textures and patterns from objects she finds in the environment. These are assembled as truly organic feeling jewellery and small scale objects such as her gorgeous kaleidoscopes.

anna ehrner (kosta boda)

Anna Ehrner has been retained by renowned Swedish Glass studio Kosta Boda since 1974. An experimental stylist, her work is distinguished by simple yet powerful shapes and an ability to achieve shimmering displays by using colour in subtle ways. Veils of colour inside the crystal have become something of a trademark in her art glass.

bertil vallien (kosta boda)

Bertil Vallien has been retained by renowned glass studio Kosta Boda since 1963 and is the most internationally celebrated glass artist and designer in Sweden. He has received numerous awards and his work is well represented in leading museums around the world. He is known most of all as the master of the sand moulding technique.

besmo fairly traded gifts

Besmo have been importing into the UK unusual, handmade, environmentally-friendly and fairly-traded collection of gifts from Africa since 1993.        

fiona mehra

Fiona Mehra (aka Fiona Alison Berry or FAB for short!) trained as a diamond mounter at the School of Jewellery in Birmingham. Much of her inspiration comes from the Wiltshire countryside where she lives, especially from the wonders of the stone circles at Stonehenge. Fiona is drawn towards the ancient jewellery that has been revealed in Wiltshire burial mounds, and also to the work of Egyptian, Roman and medieval times.

glover & smith

Set up in 1994 by Judy and Ed Glover, Glover and Smith has become a name associated with quality, contemporary pewter design and manufacture. All of their products are made in their own Wiltshire workshops by highly-skilled craftsmen who carefully create every piece using traditional methods to the very highest standards. Producing lead-free pewter bowls, spoons, cake slices, butter knives and letter openers, you’re sure to find something you’ll love.

goran warff (kosta boda)

Goran Warff, the grand old man of Kosta Boda's designers. Few, if any, have such a deep feeling for the glass melt as Warff, who has always shown special interest in preserving the traditional skills of the master craftsmen in glassblowing and glass cutting. The play of light within the clear volume of the glass and the endless optical phenomena that occur as the glass diffracts the light are a recurring theme in Warff's art and design work.

james newman

James Newman established his design studios in Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter in 1999 after gaining a BA (Hons) in Jewellery and Silversmithing from UCE, Birmingham. All of his pieces are made in-house with new ideas and collections in constant development. James explores themes including the juxtaposition of textures, sculptural forms and the use of tactile elements in his fabulously glittering work.

justin duance

Justin Duance's jewellery is very much influenced by Cornwall's countryside and the surrounding ocean. His work is designed and created to highlight the contrasts between the textures of the land and the sea, using a combination of wood, gold, silver and resin to give his pieces an organic feel. Justin's work is designed to change with wear and time, making each piece totally unique and personal.

kjell engman (kosta boda)

Kjell Engman, born in 1946, began his career with Kosta Boda in 1978 and he now has his own studio at Boda glassworks. A tirelessly productive visual artist with unbounded imagination and a passion for narrative, who finds free expression through both utility glass and art glass. He gets his inspiration from the most diverse sources, not least from the animal kingdom and the world of music and entertainment. He often works on large installations in which he also combines elements of sound and light. He is frequently commissioned for public works both in Sweden and abroad. He is personally responsible for one fifth of Kosta Boda’s catalogue range.

lyn antley

Lyn Antley went to Art School with the intention of becoming a Textile Designer, but after taking a jewellery course knew she wanted to work with metals. Lyn creates witty and imaginative jewellery inspired by her travels to far away places, fairy stories she has read to her children, and the tiny birds and creatures that live in the hedgerows near her home in Worcestershire (England).

melanie tomlinson

Melanie Tomlinson is best known for her printed tin automata, but has recently moved into creating gorgeous layered tin brooches inspired by her passion for nature.                     

multiply designs

All of Multiply Designs' work is handmade in solid pewter by Chris and Nicky Algar in Nottingham. Multiply create quality, unusual gifts for every special occasion including weddings, christenings, valentines day, mother's day, as well as gifts for romance and friendship - gifts to treasure. They can also work to commission for your special event – just call us for more information.

nick hubbard

Since 1996 Nick Hubbard has been creating jewellery inspired by his love of miniature comic related art memorabilia. You will be amazed by the detail and intricacy of his unique designs; a figurative collection of oxidized silver pieces and charms bearing words and messages. Many pieces have moving parts and small doors that open to reveal fine gold detail. Nick's jewellery has become extremely collectable.

paul finch

Paul Finch was inspired to make jewellery during his travels in Asia. He has been working as a self-taught designer jeweller since 1998 and is now based in North Cornwall. He uses a variety of techniques to create distinctive ranges of jewellery which are characterised by simplicity and elegance. His trapped range has natural shell-like forms combining subtle stone sets and silver pieces enhanced with 18ct gold.

poppy treffry

Poppy Treffry’s collection of unique bags, tea cosies, purses, brooches and more is created from her studio in Cornwall. Poppy sketches the world around her, collecting found objects, scraps and cuttings to make rich collages. These drawings are then transformed through stitch into beautiful accessories.

roman glass company

The Roman Glass Company, established in 1976, brings history to life with its unique collections of silver jewellery inlaid with fragments of genuine, ancient Roman glass. The company is renowned for its variety of designs inspired by remnants of Roman glass uncovered on archaeological sites throughout Israel. The 2,000 year-old Roman glass's unique turquoise colouring is due to the effects of time, the ingenuity of those who developed and refined the revolutionary glass blowing technique and to the elements of nature.

silver sea shells

Using real shells from sustainable sources, Silver Sea Shells coat them twice in sterling silver, then oxidise each piece before finishing each with a high polish. As the shell remains inside each piece is totally individual and remains light, comfortable and easy to wear. All the shells used are classed as 'Common' or 'Abundant'. Silver sea shells are anxious to use shells from sustainable sources only, and will carefully research each shell and are advised of any that should not be used.

silverfish

Carol Brook (aka Silverfish) has spent much of her time experimenting with different metals and decorative techniques.  Her jewellery is handcrafted to her own designs, mainly using sterling silver, with some pieces being embellished with red and yellow gold to bring out details of the design.  Her style is contemporary and organic, exploring textural effects and contrasts, taking influence from the natural world and surroundings and developing these to form unusual and unique pieces to be worn and enjoyed everyday or saved for special occasions.

tara kirkpatrick

Tara Kirkpatrick works in silver, rose gold, yellow gold and platinum including diamonds and cubic zirconia. Her individual designs include gemstones set in spirals of rose and yellow gold that give the stones a contemporary edge. If you’re looking for a pair of diamond earrings with a twist, look no further!

ulrica hydman vallien (kosta boda)

Ulrica Hydman-Vallien joined Kosta Boda in 1972. One of Sweden’s best-known and most popular artists, whose unmistakable designs can be seen on Ericsson mobile phones and the tails of British Airway’s airplanes, among other places. Ulrica Hydman-Vallien’s most important form of expression is through her glass designs, however, which also played a large part in Kosta Boda’s success in the 1980s and 1990s. She paints her striking and humorous designs straight onto the glass with free and unrestrained energy. Her distinctive female faces, tulips and snakes have decorated classics such as Open Minds, Tulipa and Caramba. Her work is exhibited in museums and collections all over the world.