Meet our Tutors: Jewellery with Sarah King

Sarah King is an artist jeweller who works with materials, form and structure to make sculptural, contemporary jewellery. Sarah is known for her work in wood and resin, as well as in traditional precious metals, and she pioneered the use of bioresin in jewellery.

Sarah is also one of Central Saint Martins’ amazing jewellery tutors who teaches the Jewellery with Wood, Jewellery in Acrylic (Weekend), Wooden Jewellery with Silver and Pearl Inlay (Weekend) and Jewellery Making with Plastic and Metal short courses.

With a brand new book out now, Creating Jewellery in Wood, we caught up with Sarah to find out more about her practice, her new book and Sarah gives her five reasons why one of her courses would be perfect for you!

Can you tell us a bit about you and your work?

I am a self-taught jeweller from an art based background. My work has been exhibited largely in the craft arena but also encompasses fashion having been worn by Kate Moss commissioned for W magazine and by Iris Apfel who has been photographed wearing my bioresin bangles, and featured in The Bite. For 20 years I have also been exploring alternative and more sustainable materials that could be used in jewellery.

Can you tell us more about your new book, Creating Jewellery in Wood?

The book seeks to elevate the current view of wood from its folk/ethnographic association and show its versatility as a contemporary medium. It has also been written to broaden the knowledge of techniques – it’s a guide for beginners as well as a reference for more experienced makers seeking to expand their range. Personally it also offered me an opportunity to explore more sustainable alternatives in jewellery, broadening the range of possible techniques one could employ without losing visual impact, and offers guidance in sourcing woods and making informed decisions.

The book is great for students that are already using wood as a medium, as it can help with changing their scale to make successful original jewellery. Meanwhile, jewellery and craft students that are seeking to widen their material possibilities, the book will offer guidance on the sustainability implications of their approach. While jewellery and fashion students will find that it addresses lots of different ways to approach the use of wood with technical innovations.

Why did you write the book and what does working with wood mean to you?

There is a diversity of work in wood that I thought would challenge people’s preconception of wooden jewellery and would make a lasting and inspiring book.

I’m interested in the visual qualities of different materials and the technical possibilities they allow. I also focus on both imagination and exploration. I think it’s really amazing how you can transform humble woods into striking pieces of jewellery.

5 reasons you should take a course with Sarah King

1. You will get to learn while working with niche materials and discover a variety of techniques for jewellery making
2. My courses offer information on sustainability – how studio jewellers are using the materials in creative ways and where to source tools and materials
3. We explore how non-precious materials are lighter weight than metal allowing for the creation of bold or more sculptural pieces
4. You get to take away pieces of jewellery, that you made, to be proud of whether you have an art background or are a complete beginner
5. You learn in small class sizes, within Central Saint Martins’ amazing workshop, in an inspiring atmosphere!

You can see more of Sarah’s work on her website and Instagram account (@Sarah_King_jewellery) and her new book, Creating Jewellery in Wood, is out now.