Precious Metal Clay is silver in a soft clay form. It can be moulded and shaped into any form, and is then dried and refined before being fired in the kiln. Once fired, it becomes solid silver and is then able to be Hallmarked as such. Precious Metal Clay is made using recycled silver, so you can be sure that your piece of jewellery is as ethical as possible.

Hallmarking is your guarantee of quality. Hallmarks are only applied after the item has been tested to verify the precious metal content. Three marks are then applied to the piece of jewellery - the registered mark of the maker, the precious metal content of the piece, and the mark of the Assay Office where it was tested. My personal makers mark is registered with the Edinburgh Assay Office. A silver item under the weight of 7.78g does not require Hallmarking by law, however I choose to Hallmark every piece of jewellery I make regardless of weight. More information on Hallmarking can be found on the website of the Edinburgh Assay Office, and the Hallmark Guarantee notice, displayed on the Dealers Notice page of the website for your information.

At your request, either direct to myself or via your chosen Funeral Director, I will make an appointment to visit the Funeral Director and take a fingerprint impression. This is done using a special putty and is a non-invasive and simple process which only takes a few minutes. The cost of this service is £20, payable by bank transfer.

Fingerprint impressions are taken using a special putty. It is a two-part product which, when mixed together, cures and sets into a rubber-like mould. I choose to take impressions using putty, as opposed to ink on paper, as I believe it gives the best true impression. The impression is not edited or altered in any way, and this true print is the one that is impressed into the silver clay. When prints are taken using ink on paper, they are not always as clear as we might like. They have to be scanned onto the computer, edited and usually resized in order to make a useable stamp to impress into the silver. I feel that something is lost during this process – the tiny lines, inflections and minute definition that makes up a fingerprint can be lost. It is important to note, however, that putty impressions cannot be used for tattoos - this has to be done using ink prints. If you would like to have an ink print as well as a putty impression, please let me know when you are requesting the service.

Hand, foot and pawprint impressions are taken using an inkless wipe and special paper. These images are then uploaded and edited to create a small stamp, which is impressed into the silver clay. Please use the Contact Me page if you would like a kit to be posted out to you. Full instructions and a return envelope are included. There is a cost of £10 for the kit, payable by bank transfer.

There is usually enough room on the front of a pendant or keyring for a small name or some letters. Anything longer, for example a quote or a special date, will need to go on the reverse of the piece. This then makes the piece double sided, which increases the cost, and is something to consider when deciding on your final design. A bracelet charm will usually need to be double sided to incorporate lettering as the print area is small. A small cubic zirconia stone can also be added to all pieces, in a colour of your choice, at an additional cost of £10.

I strive to ensure that all my jewellery is as affordable as possible and therefore accessible to all. The cost of each item includes all chains / fixings required, Hallmarking by the Edinburgh Assay Office, a luxury velvet storage box, anti tarnish tab, a silver cleaning cloth and care instructions. There are no hidden costs, and the full price to pay will be confirmed to you at the time of ordering. At this time, 50% of the total balance is payable and your order can be started.

Once you have decided what you would like to order, get in touch with me either by using the Contact Me page on the website, or by email or phonecall. We will then discuss the details and an order form will be emailed to you for confirmation. At this point, a deposit of 50% of the total cost is payable. This can be paid by bank transfer or PayPal. Once your order is finished and ready for collection / posting, the remaining balance will be due.

The current lead time for orders is four weeks from confirmation of your order. This is of course an estimate, and takes into account any possible delays in posting, delays at the Assay Office, or any unforeseen circumstances. If your order is urgent, please let me know and we can discuss if it can be done in a shorter timescale. There may be an additional charge for this.

I work from my home studio in Edinburgh EH11, and collection of your order from here is absolutely fine. Once your order is completed I will confirm the collection times for the following few days to enable you to pick the most convenient one for you. Alternatively your jewellery can be posted out to an address of your choice. I always use Royal Mail Special Delivery which is both Tracked, Next Day and Signed For on delivery, at a cost of between £8 - 14, depending on weight. It is the most secure service they offer.

Images and fingerprint impressions are held on file with me for one year from the time they are taken. I will then contact you using the email address you provided, to ask if you would like the impressions returned to you. If so, they will be sent to you by Royal Mail Special Delivery at a cost of £8.

Yes of course. It is quite common that other family members may want to order an item, once they have seen yours. Also, not everyone is ready to have something made at the same time. Grief is a very personal journey, and no two persons are the same. With this in mind, I keep the impressions for a year before getting in touch to arrange their return to you.

You will be given a set of Care Instructions with your jewellery, but of course, a common sense approach to care will ensure that your piece lasts a long time. However, accidents happen and if for any reason your jewellery is damaged or broken, please get in touch with me and we can discuss a repair where appropriate, or a replacement. Losing a precious piece of jewellery is not something we want to think about but unfortunately it can happen. If we still have your impressions on file, or if you have kept them yourself, then a duplicate piece can be made.

Your jewellery is made of solid silver and is highly polished to a mirror shine. With the proper care, it will last a lifetime. Of course, over time surface scratches and slight tarnishing may appear. If this happens, please get in touch as I offer a free re-polishing service, to restore the shine and the definition of the impressions. Each piece of jewellery comes with a polishing cloth and care instructions to enable you to keep it at its best in the meantime.

Yes of course. The images of my work are for your information and inspiration. Of course there are common shapes and styles here to choose from, but if you have your own design in mind, please let me know and we can work together to create the perfect piece for you.