Meet The Maker Laura Talbot, Porth Jewellery

Transforming beachcombed seaglass into stunning jewellery, Porth Jewellery is the product of Falmouth based maker, Laura Talbot. Becoming a jeweller was initially an unexpected profession, and started with friends complimenting her on a ring she had made from seaglass found at a local beach...

“It was never my intention to start a business, but gradually my hobby turned into a passion and eventually I decided to concentrate on it full-time. Porth Jewellery was born in Summer 2018, and I now work from my home studio in Falmouth.”

Cornish for harbours, “Porth” is a homage to Cornwall’s ocean and treasure hoarding harbours. It’s a connection that Laura prides herself on keeping when collecting material and transforming it into something that is both beautiful and full of a sense of place. Moving to Falmouth in 2001 to study Graphic Design, Laura had always had a love of the ocean and dreamt of living by it, so when the opportunity to study at Falmouth University came up, it was too good to miss. After graduating, Laura completed a PGCE and was then a primary school teacher for 13 years. When a friend and fellow jewellery maker invited Laura to her silversmith studio, she found herself spending many happy hours exploring the craft, learning the basics, and eventually journeying her way to fulltime jeweller, in which seaglass plays the central role.

“I love the idea that with each unique item I create, the journey of that piece of seaglass continues and becomes part of a new story,” explains Laura. “Seaglass has been part of the ocean, tumbled smooth and changed with time and tide. Each piece is therefore completely unique and cannot be replicated. Imagine where it could have started off: a bottle tossed overboard by a sailor; an old glass fishing buoy; the fragile remains of past Cornish industries or even the result of a shipwreck.

“I aim to retain the natural beauty of each piece found and avoid working too much on the glass unless it needs to be matched, for example, to create a pair of earrings. The provenance of the seaglass is an important part of Porth Jewellery and all finds are carefully recorded so I can trace them back to the beach, harbour or estuary they came from. Each piece of finished jewellery comes with a card detailing the location the glass was found. My jewellery is bought for a number of reasons; it could be the colour, shape or size, but also because it brings back a treasured memory or to act as a keepsake of a special place.”

Given in celebration of first dates, proposals, anniversaries, childhood holidays spent at a certain beach or to honour a personal connection to Cornwall, the individuality of Porth Jewellery’s seaglass is perhaps what makes it so distinctive, as Laura explains here: “It’s easier to order a diamond in a certain colour, size, cut and clarity than it is to find that specific piece of seaglass for someone. Commissions can be particularly special undertakings such as for the couple who collected blue seaglass from holidays around the world and then had it made into jewellery for their bridesmaids to wear on their wedding day.

“Due to the undulations and unique shapes of the pieces, each setting is also one of a kind and demands close attention. Finding a rare colour is exhilarating. There are still gaps in my seaglass colour chart I have yet to discover. There is also, sadly and for all the wrong reasons, more plastic in the sea now than glass so it is becoming harder to find.”

It’s not just creating her seaglass jewellery that Laura is adept in, but also in passing on the craft to others. Laura is a leading maker at one of Falmouth’s newest creating hubs, Inspire Makers, an exciting space that boasts a community of over 50 local artists and craftspeople, where Porth Jewellery is the only seaglass jewellery range showcased.

“The ethos of Inspire Makers is to share the story of makers, encourage exploration of the artistic process, and support well-being and community through the joy of creating,” says Laura. “Living and working in Falmouth, Inspire Makers is the ideal location to hold workshops using their dedicated workshop space.”

In a seaglass setting full day workshop, participants learn how to make a necklace, ring or bangle to size, as well as cut and file silver, solder, construct bezel settings, add texture to silver and set seaglass in the bezel setting. Currently, Laura is gradually moving over to eco-silver, which is an environmentally friendly material produced from 100% scrap jewellery and recycled silver from the medical, electronics and giftware industries and has a fully traceable and audited manufacturing process, meaning not only Porth Jewellery itself but the jewellery of the workshop makers is crafted with an eco-conscious approach. At the end of the workshop, participants leave with their very own piece of handmade jewellery. Laura also offers a half day stacking ring workshop where you can make three rings out of silver wire. These classes are available a number of times per month and private group classes can also be arranged on a day that suits.

“Having been a teacher, I enjoy interacting with people, passing on skills and seeing the joy that making something yourself can bring,” Laura explains. “Holding workshops has been a challenge over the last year so it has been great getting back into hosting them again.” l To discover more about Porth Jewellery’s Seaglass Jewellery Workshops at Inspire Makers, including dates for August and beyond, head to www.inspiremakers.com/workshops

To see more of Laura’s stunning creations, and other talented Cornish contemporary design-led artists and craftspeople, visit www.inspiremakers.com or visit them in store, details below.

Inspire Makers, 5 High Street, Falmouth, Cornwall, TR11 2AB T: 01326 531176