Every month Brave Island runs a Young Creative of the Month fund, where we spotlight a local young creative with an interview on our blog, and support them with funding of £100. For March, it’s jewellery maker Ruby Hawkins who runs a small business ‘Moon and Stars Jewellery’. This fund launches at the beginning of every month, you can apply to be Young Creative of the Month for April here.

Please can you tell us about your creative practice?

During lockdown I started making jewellery with beads including bracelets, necklaces and earrings. I have now developed to making silver jewellery including rings, pendants and bangles. Having now learnt the basics, I am looking to learn more intricate techniques such as stone setting and using other ways to make jewellery such as wax and casting. Alongside the jewellery making I also make various different crocheted items. One of ‘Moon and Stars’ signature items are the ribbon bags that are made out of recycled t-shirt yarn.

While making silver jewellery I make sure almost all of the silver is recycled. I also collect all of the silver offcuts and dust so that I can melt it down and reuse it to make pendants, earrings and ring accessories.

What led you to start making jewellery?

I started making beaded bracelets and earrings during lockdown as something to do other than watch TV in the evenings after a hard day of online GCSEs. Straight away, I loved the creativity of it and how therapeutic I found it during such a stressful time. The jewellery I made was inspired by the Greek island Paxos that my family and I love to visit. After I’d been making jewellery for family and friends for a while, I decided to have a go at selling. Since lockdown, I have taken my jewellery making further and have started making silver rings, pendants and bangles. I absolutely love following the process from the start to the end as the silver completely changes colour and pattern at different stages and the end result is beautiful shiny silver jewellery.

What are your creative ambitions for 2024?

I have lots of goals for ‘Moon and Stars Jewellery’ in 2024. Firstly, I want to attend as many craft markets and pop-up shops as possible to sell my products. This will help to raise my business profile and spread the word. More orders will allow me to further invest in training and help me develop new techniques. This could include trying out using other metals such as gold or buying the tools to melt and cast my jewellery. In turn, this will help with my other goals which are to grow my business sales and explore and research lots of new designs using new skills like stone setting. In order to achieve this I have signed up to a year long online diploma with ‘At the Bench’.

As well as designing my own jewellery, I am also taking bespoke and personalised orders. Previously, I have made bespoke lockets and earrings that I liked so much I have then added them to my silver collection.

Where can people find your work if they’d like to support you?

If you would like to get in touch please feel free to find me using my social media accounts and do not hesitate to ask any questions –

Etsy – Moonandstarsjwlr (https://moonandstarsjwlr.etsy.com )

Instagram – moon.and.stars.jewellery (https://www.instagram.com/moon.and.stars.jewellery/ )

Facebook – Moon and stars jewellery (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100083334729246 )

Email – moonandstarsjewellery22@gmail.com

You can also contact me directly on 07757742081.

I am hosting a spring pop-up shop on Wednesday 13th March at Munns Farm, Greenwood Lane, Brading PO36 0EH, selling my new silver jewellery. There will be tea and cake with a raffle and money raised as well as 10% of my takings will be donated to the mental health charity Mind. I look forward to seeing you there!