Made in Scotland: Silver Sparrow Jewellery

When we interviewed the lovely Laurence from Woolkind he recommended Edinburgh based Michelle from Silver Sparrow as our next Made in Scotland business! We love to find other people from the same wonderful city and so jumped at the chance to reach out to Michelle for a wee natter about her nature inspiration, the gorgeous silver jewellery pieces that she creates and her surprising career path, from Optometrist to Jewellery designer!

Can you tell us how your business got started?

I worked as an Optometrist for over 20 years – a career I really enjoyed with the bonus of making some fantastic friends along the way. When my children were young I stepped away to focus on family life.

Around that time some friends convinced me to join a jewellery class. I didn’t expect much but to my surprise I instantly loved it. Not only that, people even began noticing my pieces and asking me where I’d got them.  I think they were drawn to the rather quirky, certainly unusual, and most definitely NOT mass produced aesthetic! That encouragement gave me the push to keep going – that was 15 years ago!

Where do you look for inspiration when you are designing new products? 

My jewellery is inspired by the natural world – particularly the rugged beauty of the Scottish landscape. The coastlines, shifting tides and ancient forests reveal a variety of textures and shapes that continually capture my attention. I’m especially drawn to the raw weathered beauty of rocks and pebbles, driftwood, shaped by the sea and the scattered remnants washed ashore – along with the natural textures of bark, leaves and seed pods. These elements influence the organic shapes and surface details in my work. Each piece is a quiet reflection of time spent outdoors, shaped by nature and designed to feel grounded, simple and timeless.

Can you tell us a bit more about how you make your products?

Each piece comes together naturally at the workbench – no fixed sketches, just letting the design take shape as I go. I make small batches using the Lost Wax casting method. It starts with a silver master that I craft by hand, then I make wax copies and cast them in silver, keeping all the details of the original.

What are your most popular products and which are your own favourites?

Most popular? It’s hard to say as my customers tastes vary so widely and that’s something I really value . There is no one particular favourite, some people are drawn to  more delicate subtle pieces, while others prefer something a little bolder and more textured. Each piece seems to resonate differently with different people, which keeps things interesting and creative on my end.

And my favourites? I aways find this a tricky question as I’ve got a soft spot for quite a few! I tend to be most connected to the designs drawn heavily from nature. But if I had to choose, I’d say anything from the water-cast collection – ‘Under the Sea’.

What I love about that range is how each piece is formed by pouring molten silver into a bucket of water – which creates completely organic, unpredictable shapes. Every outcome is different and there’s no way to recreate a form exactly, even if I tried!  Most pieces have the appearance of rugged-like droplets or molten blobs, but very rarely, the stars align and something more delicate appears. Beautiful cup-like forms that feel like moments of pure magic and I love making them into something special. There’s something very honest about them – raw, slightly wild, and completely one of a kind.

If you had to pick one place in Scotland to recommend that people visit, where would it be?

That’s a tough one because there is so much to love in Scotland. Eilean Donan Castle is absolutely stunning, but then there’s Shetland – a bit off the beaten track yet completely worth the journey. The rugged wild landscapes, white sandy beaches, azure blue seas. Sorry – I honestly can’t decide!

Which other Scottish Makers do you love to recommend?

Rhona from Ritzy Glass and Morag Bheag who makes beautiful cushions.

Thanks so much to Michelle for her time in chatting with us and make sure to follow her on on her Website, Facebook or Instagram!