Every 4 to 8 weeks, a portion of our front window is dedicated to a selected jeweller who has previously exhibited at Pyramid Gallery.

As part of our commitment to promoting the work of British artists and jewellers, we are pleased to be showcasing the work of Yorkshire jeweller Avril Cheetham. Avril is featured as our ‘Allure Jeweller’ throughout April 2019.

Avril Cheetham
Allure! Jeweller of the Month

April – May 2019

Previous Allure! exhibitions…

Jane Moore

February – March 2019

Pamela Dickinson

December – January 2019

Kate Smith

October – November 2018

Constance Isobel & Jacqueline Warrington

July – September 2018

Gail Klevan

May – June 2018

Natalie Vardey

March – April 2018

Naomi James

January – February 2018

Jane Macintosh

December 2017 – January 2018

Annika Rutlin

1st October – November 2017

Cath Hill

August – September 2017

Cath Hill Jeweller of the month August 2017

Katie Stone

May – July 2017

Katie Stone is selected as Pyramid Gallery’s Jeweller of the Month for June 2017

Hannah Souter

March – May 2017

Les Grimshaw

January – March 2017

Yen Jewellery

December – January 2016/17

Nick Hubbard

October – November 2016

Shirley Smith

August – September 2016

Hannah Bedford

June – July 2016

Lucy Copleston

March – May 2016

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Karen Thomas

January 2016 – March 2016

Karen Thomas is a jewellery designer & maker, originally from the Midlands, who has been living & working in York for over 17 years. She graduated from Birmingham School of Jewellery (UCE) in 1998 with a BA(Hons) degree in Jewellery & Silversmithing. She has worked in busy trade workshops & taught jewellery making at a local college & school, while also producing her own designs. She now concentrates solely on creating her beautiful, wearable jewellery. Using traditional techniques; mainly working in silver sometimes in gold she makes limited editions, one off pieces & commissions, which she sells through galleries across Europe.

“I love the process of creating, wearable pieces of jewellery, be it constructing a mount for an unusual stoneor handcrafting a master, making a mould & running off waxes to generate cast units so I can produce ranges of silver jewellery that are affordable.

My designs are inspired by the world around me. Whilst studying in Birmingham many of my pieces echoed the city’s industrial past. Now in North Yorkshire I take inspiration from the landscape & its colours, from the coast to the moors & dales.”

Allure window display February 2016 by Karen Thomas

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MOXON and SIMM

November 2015

Ian Simm and Debbie Moxon trained at Sheffield for BA(Hons) Silversmithing and Jewellery, graduating in 1981.

They established a workshop in Pateley Bridge in 1982 and started selling their high quality designer jewellery. Their first gallery was Robert Feather’s Pyramid Contemporary Craft and Design in York in the same year. The gallery renamed to Pyramid Gallery when taken over by Terry and Elaine Brett in 1994 at which point the pair decided to sell through the newly opened Robert Feather Jewellery in York until he closed the business in 2008. Continuing their tradition of selling in York (unbroken now for 33 years) , Moxon and Simm once again supplied Pyramid Gallery. They have continued to do so ever since and this is the third time that their work has been chosen for the accolade of ‘Allure: Jeweller of the Month’

The uniqueness of each piece and the labour intensive nature of making and finishing ensures that production is limited and this in turn makes the jewellery highly desirable for collectors of quality handmade jewellery.

Titanium

A refractory metal. A metal that is strong and light and has the intiguing quality of colouring permanently by heating or anodising.

Debbie developed her techniques for heat colouring titanium over the last 25 years. and has received funding from the Arts Council for research and development into the heat colouring of titanium.

A degree of chance is integral to the colouring method, so each piece is carefully considered. Ian’s expertise in precision cutting make possible the level of quality for which they are known.

Jeweller of the Month for November 2015

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HELEN LEA

October 2015

jeweller of the month

Helen Lea works from her jewellery workshop in the heart of Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter.

Her jewellery is inspired by animals and nature, each miniature Silver animal is modelled by hand to give it a special character. These creatures are then made into pendants, earrings, charms & bracelets. Helen also makes larger pieces where the animals are placed into miniature three-dimensional scenes representing their natural habitats in a fun and stylised way.

Helen likes her jewellery to be cute, fun and quirky with the ability to raise a smile!

.penny warren

PENNY WARREN

August 2015

After graduating at the Polytechnic of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne with a BA honours
degree in Designer Craftsmanship, I began to develop my interest in pattern
and its application in jewellery by making work that used patination on the
surface of non-precious metals such as copper and brass.

Since 1994 I have been at the Rosehill Workshop in Brighton and by 2001
had begun to specialise in the use of hand dyed anodised aluminium as I
really loved the potential of the material to produce jewellery in geometric
shapes that also retained an individual interest.

By painting the aluminium freehand to give a unique watercolour effect to
each piece before cutting, shaping and finishing my jewellery has developed a particular style; work that is essentially light and colourful and contains the
inspiration of land, sea, and skyscape

THE JEWELLERY

The jewellery is made in anodised aluminium combined with silver.

Pre- anodised sheets of aluminium are dyed freehand and the colours diluted to achieve a watercolour effect giving them more depth and subtlety. When the sheet is dry, it is boiled to seal the colour permanently into the surface.

Once this is done the sheet is ready to be cut up into jewellery. The pieces are milled to add a texture to the surface, shaped, and the edges are polished. The aluminium is then combined with silver either by riveting or using folding techniques.

All the wires and chains are made from sterling silver.

jeweller of the month August

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JOHN & DAWN FIELD

27 May until 27 July 2015

jewellers of the month June 2015

John and Dawn Field are based in West Yorkshire, where they work both collaboratively and on their own individual pieces. John’s work is individually designed and one-off. Rich natural colours and materials feature prominently in all these pieces, and are supplied by using exotic woods, amber, precious and semi-precious metals and stones. As a contrast to John’s more abstract work, Dawn draws on her Fine Art background and uses strong imagery in her jewellery. Over the years the theme of mythical animals has reoccurred in Dawn’s work. Recently for example, she has based some jewellery around the image of Pegasus.

The asymmetrical metal range is an example of John and Dawn’s collaborative work. Textures in the form of stencils are rolled into silver, which then has other shapes soldered onto it, then rather than making matching partners, one earring will have a vibrant, rich coloured stone attached and the other will have decoration in the form of some brass loops.

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SALLY RATCLIFFE

Between March and May 2015

FAITH TAVENDER

Between January and March 2015

Hand crafted modern jewellery for men and women in sterling silver, gold and 22ct gold plate. All pieces are originally designed by Faith Tavender and made in Britain.

After graduating with a BA (Hons) Degree in Jewellery and Silversmithing at Sir John Cass, London, Faith set up her own business and has been making high quality jewellery for selected Galleries and Boutiques since 1994. Selling her work in England, United States, Japan and Australia.

Faith is inspired by nature from her childhood home of Tasmania, her love of ancient Greek jewellery and museum artefacts from around the world.

Feminine and elegant collections for women incorporate highly decorative floral charms with beautiful semi precious beads and stones. Exploring the textural qualities of silver and gold with geometrical shapes and surface patterns Faith has created collections for men and women. Producing bold and unique jewellery with ranges of rings, cufflinks and necklaces.

Every piece is hand crafted in her London Studio using only the highest quality materials.

Faith’s jewellery has been worn by Robbie Williams and Louise Rednapp and featured in Magazines such as Red, Marie-Claire, Arena, The Sunday Times, The Guardian, The Telegraph, Retail Jeweller and GQ.

Published in Jewellery Design – The Artisan’s Reference by Elizabeth Oliver and The New Encyclopaedia of Jewellery Making Techniques by Jinks McGrath.