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 pre-madonnas here!

Find out all about our wonderful artists below….

adele taylor

The lovely Adele Taylor hales from Sheffield and has been a regular at iapetus for the past couple of years. 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 or pewter little boxes.

andrew niblett

Andrew Niblett has had an affinity with ceramics from the moment his parents bought him his first potter's wheel at the age of five. The inspiration for Andrew's sculptures comes from a variety of influences ranging from the standing stones of the Outer Hebrides to the coastal defences on the Normandy beaches. Due to the curvaceous form of his sculptures they find their own settlement when placed.

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.

annika rutlin

Annika Rutlin and her team create a wonderful range of innovative and seductive designs with an emphasis on skilled high quality craftsmanship, from her studio in central Brighton. She works in both gold and silver and designs for both men and women.  She is inspired by the crisp bold lines of the landscapes of Belgium and Norway and the diversity of the modern and traditional designs present in both countries.

benjamin james

Inspired by the ever-changing industrial world that surrounds us today, Benjamin James's mens jewellery consists of contemporary urban concepts which are both unusual and comfortable to wear.

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, hand made, environmentally friendly and fairly traded collection of gifts from Africa since 1993.                                                             

cathy miles

Cathy Miles is an English metal smith with a lovely, quirky sense of humour! She uses a unique concoction of wire, found materials and text to depict common bird life. Her works take the form of three-dimensional drawings and creations documenting the belly tickling moments of the everyday.

chris hawkins

Chris Hawkins combines strong design and technical skills to produce striking contemporary jewellery.  The natural world, smooth sculptural forms and bold textures inspire him to create wonderful designs such as his silver scorpion cufflinks and beautifully weighted silver fish pendants.

daisy dunlop

Daisy Dunlop began working with resin in New York in 1997, training with artists and sculptors as well as taking a number of classes in jewellery design and mould making. She then worked for Cartier International in Miami for 2 years before returning to Redruth in Cornwall to concentrate on her own designs and establish her own business, which was launched the following year. Her work contains hand-cast resin pieces embedded with silks, collage, wildflowers, metal leafs, rose petals and poetry fragments, making each piece unique. She combines them with semi precious stones, pearls and asymmetrical silver chains to make jewellery that moves and glimmers when it's worn.

deco echo

Deco Echo is a group of incredibly talented jewellery artists from our new EU neighbours, Poland. Together they create a range of gorgeously unusual contemporary jewellery designs you certainly won't have seen before using both traditional and modern materials.

dwy galon

The Dwy Galon range of jewellery comes from Montgomeryshire, Mid-Wales where dyed pearls are combined with sea shell and leaf charms to create very original and colourful jewellery.  The core of the sea shells and leaf charms is lead-free pewter, cast to the highest standard and beautifully encapsulated in silver.  Added to this are natural pearls in various colours which highlight the stunning and unique designs.

feniom

Feniom titanium jewellery is one of the largest collections of contemporary titanium jewellery available. Offering a fantastic range of engagement rings, partner and wedding rings, there are so many styles to choose from with Feniom, who are based in Belgium. Part of their unique design includes the combination of titanium and silver, rubber and titanium with 18ct yellow gold. Many include diamonds to add that extra sparkle.

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.

hotmetal (jo mitchell)

Hotmetal was established in 1990 by artist Jo Mitchell. She creates beautiful designer jewellery in a variety of materials ranging from silver through various coloured metals to glass. Jo studied Graphic Art at the Bath Academy of Art. She then worked as a graphic designer before deciding to pursue her long held interest in jewellery design.

jacek bzcyewski

Jacek Byczewski is renowned as Poland's most influential and innovative stone setter. Using a combination of surgical steel, silver, gold and cubic zirconia or diamonds Jacek creates truly distinctive and stunning pieces of jewellery. He encases cubic zirconia in a variety of highly original settings making his selection of rings, necklaces and bracelets more works of art than mere jewellery.

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 include 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.

kate smith

Kate Smith trained at Stourbridge College of Art and Design before completing a degree in Jewellery Design at Middlesex University.   After working with numerous other contemporary designer/makers whilst living in London, she moved back to the Midlands to take inspiration from her countryside surroundings of Shropshire and to set up her own jewellery business in the heart of Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter.

keith tyssen

Keith Tyssen is a world-renowned metal worker. Based in Sheffield, he designs and hand makes substantial, functional articles in pewter or sterling silver, including his hand-forged paper knives. His work has featured in numerous exhibitions in Britain and overseas.

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.

leszek weiss

Polish designer Leszek Weiss created the silver serpentine bracelet over 20 years ago.  The long form is made of a series of sterling silver tubes linked together by a series of pivot points.  These pivots allow the bracelet to be wound and sculpted into all manner of stunning shapes and forms.  Leszek devised a series of specialist tools to enable him to create a seamless look.  He is incredibly secretive about how the piece is constructed and although many have tried to imitate, none have succeeded.

lucy tom

Based in Cirencester, Lucy Tom is the maker of quirky, but nevertheless, beautiful items for the home. In our opinion, her greatest success by far is her range of colourful and fun door stops. The idea for a Chicken Doorstop came about one rainy afternoon when Lucy was stuck for a way to use the leftover fabric from her interiors business. After a few days cutting and stitching this furnishing accessory was 'hatched'. She has now expanded the range to include more exotic animals such as hippos and elephants.

lucy quartermaine

Lucy Quartermaine uses silver to create a range of stylish, contemporary, pieces of jewellery that aim to put a smile on peoples' faces. Her signature range uses a jigsaw concept to produce highly individual and glamorous pieces of work including necklaces, earrings, bracelets and rings. Other ranges include jewellery based on buttons, liquid splats and the elegant stone range that explores organic and natural shapes.

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 automatas, 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 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.

olle brozen (kosta boda)

Retained by Kosta Boda since 2000, Olle Brozen is a designer with a mixed background that includes working as a carpenter and as a glassblower in Japan. The Japanese influence is clearly visible in his first sketches for Kosta Boda, a series of stylized patterns inspired by nature. He has also attracted attention with his Round-Trip series: simple, powerful images of vehicles travelling through the city and countryside. Highly simplified patterns and decorations with playful, almost naive subjects, created on a computer, are characteristics of Olle Brozen’s designs.

opex paris

Opex watches have their own distinctive style - French, classic and contemporary with a 2 year warranty. In line with the pret-a-porter calendar, the three Opex Parisian designers dedicate their energy and talent to offer us two collections per year launched in February and August. With pure lines, rounded angles, fashion colours and soft materials the Opex creations remain true to the brand values: quality, creativity, simplicity giving you a timeless fashion watch that will follow your mood and outfit.

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.

phillipa merriman

Philipa Merriman makes sterling silver tableware and giftware, using techniques such as forging and raising, casting and gilding.                                                                              

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.

pure juniper

Pure juniper create products that are hand crafted to perfection with the wood coming from a sustainable managed source, so you can enjoy beautiful and ethical kitchenware. Juniper is an unusual tree, which apart from all the legends and healing properties attributed to it, has an extremely pleasant natural scent due to the oils and sugars it contains in its wood. The wood of juniper has a beautiful colour and unique pattern, which makes the products made out of it so exclusive and striking. Having juniper wood in the kitchen and dining area creates a lovely aroma, which becomes stronger when they are used with heat.

rauni higson

Rauni Higson established her studio in North Wales in 1997, where the spectacular mountain landscape has been one of her biggest inspirations. Most of her work is formed under the hammer. Fundamentally she enjoys exploring the distortion of metal in 3 dimensions to form pieces that are both attractive and functional. However, she has never been afraid to experiment in design, constantly developing the technical boundaries of her craft. As well as producing work for sale in galleries and exhibitions, she enjoys working with clients on specially commissioned pieces, ranging from wedding/engagement rings to trophies.

richard hastings

Richard Hastings originally studied pure mathematics at Essex University, where he developed his interest in topology, patterns and surfaces. He later spent a year studying engineering, working with machine tools. His work is motivated by an interest in compactness and in the feeling of a crushing weight. He is also attracted to the distinctive finish of a machined surface. Steel is a medium that suits these ideas perfectly. Often the pieces have many layers and have been through several different processes, which are visible in the finished work.

richard shaw

Richard Shaw makes small sculptures of birds, animals, boats and creatures from classical mythology along with his own creations.  Along with pewter, which is lead free and environmentally friendly, some of his larger pieces, often one offs, will be made with a combination of materials, many of them collected from the beach and recycled. Other pieces are individually cast in resin and finished by hand giving each one a unique texture, pattern and colour combination.  Richard injects each piece with its own quirky personality to try to make each creation a character in its own right.

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.

rubbish bags

Rubbish Bags is a Filipino co-operative of 300 women who collect 50,000 non-biodegradable juice and sauce packets a day.  The collected rubbish is then sorted, sanitized, dried and stitched together and transformed into these wonderfully decorative and practical Rubbish Bags!

sarah jane brown

Sarah Jane Brown has been working sculpturally with metals since 1994; her new collection launched in the autumn of 2001 is in the form of wire knits. These are moulded by hand, first making the body of the structure then adding details like legs, arms etc on afterwards by hand-stitching them together. Lastly collars, tags and small details are added to give the piece real character and a unique quality that are making them a very collectable piece of art. Her work is very ‘touchy feely’ and can be personalised by gently adjusting the head or the tail to convey different expressions.  Her creations were a step away from her previous 3 –dimensional sculpture which concentrated most on surface texture.

sharon mcswiney

Working in both precious and non-precious metals, such as copper and brass, Sharon Mcswiney creates jewellery and metal work that features humorous characters and animals, often with a theme.  She is inspired by folk art, children’s illustrations, textiles and a love of gardening.  The techniques used to produce this work include; etching, fusing, punched decoration, deliberately melting areas, embossing, hammering textures and heat colouration on the copper, brass and silver.  Each piece is unique as it is not possible to re-create the effects from the heating of the metal.  The aim is not to produce quantities of similar sections but to constantly evolve new effects on the metal.  Currently the only restriction is with the size of the individual pieces of metal – limited to enable heating properly to solder.  The completed pieces could be very large indeed if many sections were joined together.

shimara carlow

Shimara Carlow was born in a remote coastal area in Southern Ireland. She had a childhood fascination for collecting shells, stones, feathers and pods found along the sea shore which has become the inspiration for her tactile and organic work. Shimara uses silver, 18ct gold and silk paper to create her jewellery, which is constructed from individual acorn cup and daisy units, pieced together to create both large and small scale pieces of jewellery.

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 occasion.

stephanie bowen (morpheous glass)

Fused Glass, the technique used to make Morpheus Glass pieces, is an exploration of design and individuality. Stephanie Bowen draws inspiration from colour, pattern, and the glass itself to create truly unique pieces of fused glass. The preparation of each piece takes time and patience to ensure perfect results after firing. It is the combination of materials and individual designs which make each piece of Morpheus Glass fused glass unique. Stephanie says that what she loves most about her work is that the techniques used insure originality every time.

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.

vilmain

The Vilmain range, by American Modern, manages to combine whimsy with sophistication to create alluring and thought provoking pieces. Whether it is jewellery for the home, or office accessories that turn desktops into miniature galleries, you can expect originality.

weya art

All Weya Art creations including their fantastic tin animals are handmade and each is a piece of art and a one-of-a-kind collectable. The purchase of these products helps to provide stable employment and basic needs for many dependants in a time when unemployment and inflation in Zimbabwe are at unimaginable levels.

yigal avinoam

An original and exciting jewellery designer already recognized and acclaimed around the globe. Yigal Avinoam's collection spans a variety of styles with ethnic, modern and classic influences, and offers finely crafted personal ornaments richly able to please a wide group of tastes and needs.  In only eleven short years, Avinoam has succeeded in creating daring combinations that are simple and elegant and always fashioned from the finest quality of materials. His unique pieces combine a variety of metals and semi-precious stones.

zelda wong

All Zelda Wong’s designs share the same principle: a piece of jewellery that is unique, beautiful and makes the wearer feel special.  The inspiration behind the jewellery is to capture the everlasting beauty of garden plants & flowers. Gemstones add a splash of colour to the delicate silver flowers.  All pieces are individually hand-made in the West Midlands.