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A bit about me...
I'm Aida, a jeweller, a teacher, and a collector of things the sea leaves behind.
I moved to Jersey from Spain and fell completely in love with it: the beaches, the light, the way the island holds its history close. That love is in everything I make.
My studio is in St. Saviour, where I work with sterling silver, fine silver, Argentium and gold, using traditional hand crafting techniques. Every piece takes time and every piece is mine before it becomes yours.
My favourite pieces to make are the ones that carry a real story, silver settings for the fragments of 19th century pottery I find on Jersey's beaches after storms. Each shard came from shipwrecks of tea trade ships that sheltered in the Channel Islands. The plates and other pottery were used as ballast in the ships, as the tea crates were light and bulky. I have been picking the pottery shards with my children for years and now they wear them.
I also teach jewellery making at Philip Mourant Centre in Trinity; watching a student holding their finished piece is, honestly, one of the best feelings I know.
How I work
I work mainly on sterling silver, Argentium and fine silver, as well as 9-18ct gold (commission only) sometimes using pottery shards, sea glass, semi precious gemstones and pearls.
My designs are inspired both on things I see out and about Jersey and memories from growing up in Spain. Nature, animals, specially insects and sea creatures are my great inspiration and love; I love the countryside and beaches in Jersey. If you haven't been to Jersey or the Channel Islands, they are definitely worth the visit.
Finding 'treasure', such as the pottery shards found on Jersey beaches, is such fun. I sometimes shape them as hearts as close to the original size and shape and set them in sterling silver; this is why they are all different. Each piece of jewellery is made from scratch by me and is unique, always different in pattern and shape.
Did you know most of the shards come either from shipwrecks of tea-carrying vessels on their way back to London, late in the 18th century? Others seem to be part of the waste thrown to sea by the castle dwellers or tea rooms around the island during the 19th century. Most pieces belong to the Willow Pattern series, depicting a forbidden love story by the daughter of a wealthy man and his assistant who ended up being killed and turned into doves flying in the centre of the design. But I have also identified earlier pieces...
I only use traditional tools and techniques, every item I make is from my own design and inspiration. I guarantee all my work for its quality and craftsmanship and include free cleaning and maintenance of all my pieces to my customers.
On January 2016, I decided to set up as a sole trader and became a member of Genuine Jersey on March 2016.
I love what Genuine Jersey stands for and their values, specially in this modern world of cheap multi production and throw-away society. I am not from Jersey but I adore this island, its beauty, history and people. Being a member of Genuine Jersey, a platform that protects good quality and craftsmanship in Jersey, means a great deal to me.
Since 2022 I have been teaching basic jewellery making techniques at the Philip Mourant Centre in Trinity, as part of the Highlands Adult Education scheme. My favourite part is when I hand my students their first finished piece straight out of the polisher... their faces light up when they see them finished.
Thank you for all the support. It makes it all possible for me as an artist to do what I love.
All the best,
Aida x
Some examples of my work...
