This piece has been hand saw pierced from an antique electroplated nickel-silver plate, (made by the Sheffield silver firm Aitkin Brothers, and which dates to pre-1958) acquired at a market in Edinburgh, Scotland, the same year it was re-made. It was created for entry into the 2011 Cheongju International Craft Competition, with the theme “Not The New, Just the Necessary.”

The pattern draws from the simple ornamentation that was on the original object – two inscribed bands that follow the circumference of the plate – two circles on a circular plate – or three circles. The circle motif became the starting point of the pattern, and the number three a guiding iterator. Once pattern creation was complete, the multiple circle-pattern was sawn into the plate, and once reassembled became three separate jewellery pieces.

Gold prize: 2011 Cheongju International Craft Competition