When “ordinary” just won’t do

Thomas William Jewellery is a local independent jeweller, based at Holme Grange Craft Village, specialising in repair, bespoke and recycling pieces. Wokingham Local caught up with Owner and Goldsmith, Tom Murphy, recently and this is what he had to say..

How did you become a Goldsmith?

My Dad and Grandad were both metalworkers and encouraged me to pursue an apprenticeship. I’m really visual and love sculpture, so metalwork and a creative mind married perfectly to enable me to establish myself.

As an apprentice to a business owner, how did that happen?

A huge amount of hard work and sacrifice! I am extremely passionate about the industry and most importantly the raw skills of a goldsmith. I noticed jewellery shops were becoming very generic, fueled by sales staff. I had a vision of how a modern jewellery shop should look so combined the reputation I had built up over the years with my ideas, and slowly but surely it began to take shape. I moved from my spare bedroom workshop into a retail unit almost 5 years ago!

What does a Goldsmith actually do?

Everything from a simple solder, melting and remaking unworn jewellery into fashionable pieces to wedding rings and one-off bespoke heirlooms. If you can imagine it then we can make it reality! Goldsmithing is similar to blacksmithing just on a much smaller scale.

Are all Jewellers and Goldsmiths the same?

No, Generally the big retail shops follow a particular model and use off site goldsmiths. Independent shops are completely unique and some will have on site goldsmiths. Even then, every goldsmith will have a different way of working, ideas and most importantly standard.

It’s vital that you find someone you trust and appreciate the quality of the work they produce. We pride ourselves on our personable service and high quality of workmanship.

What makes you different?

Our passion and standard for sure! We truly believe in an honest, informal approach and we find our customers really appreciate that. We each have a specialist skill set that lends itself to different projects for example design, recycling, gemmology and valuation work. We are a young team but still have over 50 years’ experience between us. Our customers receive the highest standard due to this.

We also have a balanced mix of general items such as chains etc combined with unique one-off pieces you won’t find anywhere else.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

The most enjoyment comes from presenting the customer with any piece we have created. It can be an extremely emotional moment and seeing it surface through the work we produce is immensely satisfying and is why I love what I do!

What does 2023 and beyond hold for TWJ?

Lots of new stock items and we are working hard to build an online shop. We are also excited to bring our skills and energy into the community more. Whether that’s popping up at local events or supporting local schools and charities. It’s important to entwine ourselves with the local area and community as much as possible.