After finding her love of design, Adrienne founded and opened her bespoke jewellery brand and store Adrienne Wroath in 2014, located in Newport on the Isle of Wight. Since then she has developed a name for being one of the best jewellers on the island. Working with a mixture of golds - white and yellow, sterling silvers, and stunning stones, Adrienne creates unique pieces in her studio onsite. 

You’ve been making jewellery for years now, hence why you’re so good at it! But when did you first get into making and designing jewellery? Even as a kid in primary school I would make beaded and wire jewellery for my friends or to sell at school fetes, but it wasn’t until 2008 when I had finished my BA Fine Art degree which I then decided to take a day course in silversmithing, from there I was hooked. 

Oh cool! And where would you say you draw inspiration from for your collections? My latest collection is inspired by ancient artefacts, found and collected pieces. I love the look of jewellery that feels like it has history and age. I would say as a whole my pieces take elements from nature, earth and sky, focusing on rustic textures and the beauty of imperfections.

I love the clean design ‘AW’ for your logo, was it a conscious decision to use your own name for your brand? When I moved from my first little studio/shop at Arreton Barns to my Newport store, I went round and round with ideas for the new shop name. I wanted something timeless but also unique. In the end I thought no one else has my name so that’s as original as I'll get! As I can now call myself a designer I'm pleased I stuck with it. 

Going into your store is a whole experience! Not only can people browse your stunning jewellery collections, and get things altered or custom made, but you also stock pieces from other artists/brands including cards, candles, bags (and more!) How do you choose and find these pieces to go into your shop? I used to go to trade shows every year, but found there wasn’t a huge amount of small independent makers there. Since then I’ve found more interesting brands through visiting other small shops on my travels around europe. I work with a maker to produce my range of AW candles, incense and beauty goods, which are all handmade, fair trade, vegan and sustainable. 

I was lucky enough to see you in action in your workshop the other day, the process of making jewellery is fascinating to me! How long does it take you to make a pair of earrings, and what tools are needed (or does it depend on the materials being used?)  If I was to sit down and make a pair of simple gemstone studs, I could have them made in a morning. You would need a jeweller's saw, pliers, files, torch, soldering setup, bezel pusher, pendant drill/polisher.

And what is your favourite thing to make and why? My favourite thing to make is a hard one to narrow down. I know my favourite metal to work with is definitely gold, I love the softness, how malleable it is and the richness of colour. I’m totally obsessed with gold at the moment, wearing it and making it. I would probably say engagement and wedding jewellery are my favourite things to make. It’s extremely rewarding working with people to design and make them such sentimental pieces, when they come to collect and you see the happiness and feelings it can create. 

In your studio I saw both yourself and your assistant Emily, who also owns her own Jewellery brand, 'Silver Copse Jewellery', doing a lot of hammering to get different patterns into the pieces. What are some other techniques you use to get different patterns? The rolling mill is used to create different patterns, like our Skeleton Leaf range which is made by rolling silver sheet with a dried leaf through the mill, leaving the imprint in the metal. This can be done with lots of different materials or fabric. I also sometimes create new ways of creating textures, like using a beach rock to hammer the metal  for a subtle rustic weathered look. 

What are your tips for others wanting to get into the jewellery craft business? Don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty, it can be quite manual work which I feel sometimes people don’t realise, but the end result is very rewarding. Practice, practice, practice, things will go wrong at the beginning but don’t let that phase you, power through and learn from your mistakes.