In this edition of our 'Meet the Jeweller' series, we had the pleasure to chat to Anna Davenport of Silver Nutshell Jewellery about her work with sand casting and metal clay.
You mention childhood memories of collecting shells and flowers - how do those early experiences shape your designs today?
My Dad always took me and my siblings rock pooling when I was a child, and I still remember coming back to the caravan with a pocket full of shells. My Dad was Hungarian, a nation that are renowned for collecting ‘stuff’ so it didn’t matter whether it was stamps, shells or old pennies, there was always a random collection of them in the house.
My Dad loved photography and my Mum loved sewing, so from an early age, I started making things, and I never stopped. I love learning, and in 2014, I went on a silversmithing day course to make a silver ring. I’d never worked with silver before and I remember driving away knowing that I’d found ‘that thing’. The one technique that I wanted to learn everything about, and ultimately, would build into a thriving business for myself. I signed up to a silversmithing course in Dorset with Al and Jess, who have their own business A Wolf and I and have never looked back.
What inspired you to begin experimenting with silver casting and metal clay?
After seeing a sand casting demonstration in the studio, I really wanted to try it for myself. Jess, the tutor, gave me a jar of seashells that she kept on the window sill in the studio, so I began casting seashells.
After making castings of most of the shells, I began taking in acorns and seedheads to cast, because I was fascinated by the process or traditional sand casting. Once, I picked a ripe blackberry from the hedgerow to cast. I froze it overnight but sadly, it quickly turned to mush before I could cast it. I was naive but eager to learn, and to this day, I still soak up technique and facts like the proverbial sponge.
What I love most about sandcasting is that it captures a moment in time. I’m quite meticulous so the process of creating chimneys in the sand for the air to escape when the molten silver flows into the mould, still excites me. I still have my equipment but not the space to cast at the moment, so in 2022, my focus switched from sheet silver to silver metal clay.
It’s quite a magical product and I discovered that it picks up natural texture beautifully, far better than I could fabricate using a piece of sheet silver. I love teaching beginners and showcase silver metal clay techniques on my Instagram account, because I believe that it’s a simple way to get into jewellery making. Many of my students have gone onto becoming trained silversmiths, having started with a pack of clay and a hand held torch.
You’ve run workshops and courses. What do you enjoy most about teaching others?
I love teaching. I went to college and trained as a teacher but I swapped a life teaching four and five year olds to read and write, for a job in media, launching craft magazines and teaching people how to cross stitch, do papercrafting and knit!
Despite enjoying making jewellery and running my own small business, I realised that I missed writing, and I wanted to get back into teaching. As Editor and Publisher, I used to write a lot, especially ‘how to guides’ and ‘project instructions’. So in 2023, I designed and wrote my first silver metal clay guide. ‘101 Most Asked Silver Metal Clay Questions’ is still one of my best sellers. I now have 12 silver metal clay guides, which my Etsy shop tells me, I sell into 45 countries around the world. Yes, that figure still astonishes me!
I am a huge fan of Canva, which is the perfect tool that I use to design anything, and everything. I love learning on the job so there’s always something new to learn on KAJABI, the platform that I use for all my online courses.
I’ll admit that I resisted doing online teaching at first, mainly because I have imposter syndrome, like a lot of creative people. But, I’m 50% Hungarian! I love building ‘stuff’ and am constantly setting new goals and challenging myself to do more, and do better.
The thing that I love most about teaching, whether that’s online, in-person, through social media or my guides, is that I get to share what I love. I receive so many lovely messages from my students and customers. I know how important creativity has been to me throughout my life, and I want to share that joy with as many people around the world as possible.
I particularly enjoy experimenting, blending my knowledge as a silversmith with silver metal clay. I taught myself enamelling this year and then launched a new course for my students to show them how to add colour to their jewellery. It’s thrilling to get feedback on how much they enjoy a particular course and how special they feel about wearing a piece of jewellery that they have made.
You describe your work as ethical, wild and handmade. What does that phrase mean to you?
As a small business owner, I am highly sensitive to our impact on the planet so sustainability and responsible sourcing is at the heart of everything that I do. My packaging is recyclable or reusable, my pieces are cast or created in recycled silver, and my business cards are made from recycled tee-shirts. That’s something that I won’t compromise on.
Living in the Cotswolds and spending time in Devon means I’m passionate about nature, the oceans and our wonderful planet. My Silver Nutshell Jewellery is a collection of silver leaves, seashells, pebbles, botanicals and seedpods, handmade in sterling silver as ‘one of a kind’ pieces of jewellery. Capturing our emotional connection with the natural world means that my customers can wear a piece of handmade jewellery and be reminded of time spent outdoors in the garden, on the beach or walking in the British countryside. I love that my nature jewellery marks a moment in time. From when the acorn fell from the tree, to making a cast or a mould of a seashell or acorn, I want my nature jewellery to feel wild, authentic, and handmade with love.
Do you have a favourite piece you’ve created, or a story behind one of your designs?
I have a fascination with broken shells and I have a few pieces that I’ve cast and added to my collection. I found these particular seashells on a Norfolk beach and worn smooth by the waves,
I cast them in sterling silver as a way to celebrate our imperfections. Life isn’t perfect and these pieces say ‘You’re perfect to me’, which is a sentiment that I think we can all associate with.
One of my customer favourites is the solid silver bean, which is often bought as a gift for new Mums. I bought a bag of kidney beans from a local market and cast one to create a beautiful sterling silver bean or as it’s now called, a Jersey bean. I received an email from one of my customers who had bought a few silver beans as gifts, and who explained the story of the Jersey silver bean. A ‘bean’ is a nickname for people from Jersey. It originates from a traditional dish, the Jersey bean crock, which is a casserole of beans and meat. I love that jewellery can connect us in some way to nature, a person, or indeed a place.
Is there a particular tool or material in your workshop you couldn’t live without?
Yes, my magnifying spectacles! I struggled with soldering for a long time while I was learning because I couldn’t see the detail. Tiny pallions of solder are a law unto themselves, but not after I bought my first pair of magnifying spectacles. They transformed my soldering success rate. My new favourite has to be the Rosy Revolver Tumbling Aids. I put off buying them for longer than I’ll confess to because I didn’t think I needed them. I only placed the order a month ago. I really wish that I’d bought them sooner because they are so good. I’ve used them to clean sterling silver necklaces chains, which have tarnished over time as I transport them from workshops to Devon, and back to the Cotswolds. Lesson learnt - if you think you need it, buy it now!
What’s been your proudest moment since launching Silver Nutshell in 2019?
I have two stand out, proud moments since launching Silver Nutshell in 2019. First was to be Muddy Stilettos Award Winner for Best Jeweller in Glos and Worcs 2022. It’s always difficult to know where you sit amongst your peers when you’re a small business. Like a lot of creative small business owners, it’s a 24/7 job to build a business on your own and it’s easy to get lost in it. It was such an honour to win.
My second was having a collection of my pieces exhibited in Westonbirt, the National Arboretum, Shop in 2023. I do believe that creativity is the best therapy that there is. My Mum passed away in April of that year at the amazing age of 90, and in May I was invited to create a collection of jewellery for Westonbirt Shop. It was a life saver of a moment. I have such fond memories of being at my bench, immersed in my jewellery making, using my hands to capture the beauty of fallen leaves that I’d collected at the Arboretum. Time spent making jewellery, enabled me to remember the special relationship that I had with my Mum, and with my own personal endeavour, my jewellery business.
Looking ahead, what’s next for Silver Nutshell - are there new collections or directions you’re excited about?
I never stand still so I have a lot of new plans for 2026. I’m just finalising 16 pieces for a silver jewellery collection to be exhibited in a museum in Chipping Campden. I also have plans for a new membership scheme, hoping to give unlimited access to my guides and courses. A bit like Netflix, but for silver metal clay jewellers! I’m a huge Instagram nerd, and having built a following of over 50,000 followers. I want to continue to build my account by sharing more technique and behind the scenes videos.
I love playing with the algorithm. I’ve currently got 45 reels with over one million views, and one with over 29 million views. The platform is a passion of mine, a way to connect with jewellers and creatives, some of whom I’ve met. It’s a place to learn, share, teach, oh and sell! And yes, I’ve written a couple of Instagram How to Guides too. Coupled with my desire to teach more people how to make their own jewellery and film, write and share more techniques - it’s easy to see how that will fill most of the 16 hours of my waking days in 2026!
Visit Anna's website here to learn more and view her available pieces. Anna's How To Guides are available via her Etsy shop here.
And please head over to Instagram to keep up to date with Anna's latest tips and tricks.
0 comments