Nottingham-based jewellery designer Hannah Bourn has made a name for herself conjuring up stunning gold and silver pieces inspired by the natural world, using casts or sculptures of shells. Her work often mirrors the shapes found on the beach and in the sea, and aims to be a source of escapism, capturing the beauty of nature in a wearable format. We catch up with her to chat about the magic of recreating nature through jewellery, making heirlooms for the future and her current collection, Touch of the Sea…
Can you tell me how you got into jewellery making?
I always wanted to go to uni and learn something new and I really love jewellery, so I did my degree in it at Central Saint Martins in London. There, I also got the opportunity to do a placement year for Alex Monroe, a jeweller who is famous for their iconic bumblebee necklaces. After that placement, I carried on working with them part-time and got the opportunity to do bespoke pieces for them too.
All the pieces in your Touch of the Sea collection are nothing short of magical, so can you tell me a little bit more about the inspiration behind them?
I’ve always been fascinated by the natural world and especially the beach. However, I’ve seen a lot of seaside jewellery that’s quite cheesy, so I was always really cautious to not go down that road. Instead, I’ve drawn inspiration in a more subtle way and my pieces are often quite abstract, so that even if you don’t particularly love the sea, I hope you could still wear and love my jewellery. Some of my pieces are made using imprints from shells by pouring wax in or over the surface of them. I then sculpt and shape these casts to adapt them to the body. Other pieces are a bit more sculptural and are made to highlight the hidden shapes and lines found in nature. For example, one of my bangles is inspired by a Saccostrea shell, and the lovely wiggly line you see across the seam when it’s closed.
The theme for this collection is all about exploring human connections with nature and how we crave them
Nottingham is quite a way away from the beach. Now you’re here do you think your pieces will move away from drawing inspiration from the sea?
The theme for this collection actually started when I was studying in London, and it was all about exploring human connections with nature and how we crave them. Even holding a pebble in your hand, for example, can have such a calming effect. Living in a busy city like London made me crave, study and appreciate nature more, and even though Nottingham is more chilled out, I definitely want to keep exploring these themes, as being in a city always inspires me to reconnect with nature.
Jewellery can be really emotive. What emotions do you want your jewellery to evoke?
Often when you hold natural objects, it can bring up memories, whether it’s a special visit to the beach or a connection to nature, so I always hope my pieces evoke feelings of calm. I’ve had instances of people telling me how much they love to play with my jewellery because of its calming effect on them too – they love fiddling with the pieces and feeling the shapes and the textures. I also do a lot of bespoke pieces such as engagement rings and wedding bands, so that’s obviously received in a very different way too and will naturally trigger different emotions.
One of the things I noticed you do that is really special is breathing new life into old family heirlooms and gems. Can you tell me a little more about that?
I’m really passionate about sustainability and I love giving life to old objects. Rather than always looking for new stones and new pieces of metal, I often melt down old gold and silver and give it a new lease of life. I can also use any old stones from rings that someone has had passed down to them from previous generations. I think a lot of people are really lucky and have family jewellery that they just love but some also inherit jewellery that they think is really not them, and when I get to work on these pieces, it’s always amazing and so rewarding seeing the transformation.
You hear a lot about the negative side of gold mining and irresponsible metal sourcing, but where do you source your metal from and where do you stand on that?
I always try and make all my jewellery in solid silver or gold and never use base metals because the jewellery industry isn’t always the most sustainable. When I make my jewellery, I always want to make sure it’s made from long-lasting materials so they can withstand the test of time and become heirlooms for the future. The metals I use are recycled gold or silver and I also have a licence with a fair-mined gold company so people do have the option of using gold sourced from there as an alternative.
Hopefully I can keep developing this collection because there are endless shapes, shells and natural objects that I can explore through my pieces
What are your plans for the future?
Hopefully I can keep developing this collection because there are endless shapes, shells and natural objects that I can highlight and explore through my pieces. At the minute it’s just me and I would like to expand my team one day in the future. However, I’ve always said I’d never want to get so big that I couldn’t manage my team, as I wouldn’t want to lose that personal touch or not get a chance to be involved in the actual making or designing. All my pieces are also currently very sculptural and quite chunky, but next I’m going to be creating a fine collection which will have a similar concept, still celebrating nature, but be more delicate, with a lower price point.
What have been your career highlights so far?
When I get asked by a family or friend to make something, I always find that really touching. My cousin asked me to make his engagement ring which was the first ever engagement ring that I made. That was a massive highlight for me. I’ve also just launched in two local stockists, k. fines in Hockley and Last Night I Dreamt in Southwell. They’re both amazing jewellers.
If you’d like to get your hands on one of Hannah’s creations, visit her website or Instagram
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