20 Years on the Bench: What I’ve Learned

This year marks 20 years since I first sat at the bench and picked up my tools as a goldsmith. Two decades of melting, soldering, filing, setting, and polishing. Two decades of learning - through doing, through mistakes, through moments of flow and moments of frustration. It's hard to condense 20 years into a blog post, but here are some of the lessons that have stayed with me.

1. Design Takes Time - and Trust

In the beginning, I thought good design was about making something impressive. Over the years, I’ve come to understand that good design is about restraint, intention, and clarity. It’s about knowing what to leave out as much as what to include. It takes time to develop your voice and signature style as a designer, and even more time to trust it. I’ve learned to listen to my instincts, to return to forms that feel satisfying to make, and to notice what draws me in - what holds my attention.

2. Craftsmanship Is a Muscle

There’s no shortcut to skill. You earn it by showing up. Day after day, job after job. You learn how gold moves, how pressure changes everything, how to fix a mistake. After 20 years, I still learn something new all the time. That’s the gift of this craft - it never gets boring. There’s always another challenge, another way to refine, another piece that demands more of you.

3. You Have to Love What You Make

I realised that the pieces that really connect—the ones customers come back for, the ones that are worn and loved - are the ones I loved first. If I’m not excited about it, I can’t expect anyone else to be. So now, I design from a place of joy and curiosity. I make pieces that I would wear, that I’m proud to hold in my hand. That love shows in the finished piece.

4. Quality Always Matters

It’s tempting in a fast-moving world to cut corners or chase trends. But over and over again, I’ve seen that quality endures. It’s what brings people back. Whether it’s the weight of a clasp, the smoothness of a setting, or the glow of a properly polished surface, these things matter. Not because they’re flashy, but because they feel right. That kind of care builds trust - and trust is the foundation of everything.

5. The Bench Teaches Patience

Jewellery making isn’t fast. At least, not the kind I want to make. It teaches you to slow down. To pay attention. To solve problems with your hands and your mind. That patience has shaped me, not just as a maker but as a person. I think more clearly now. I’m more deliberate. I’ve learned when to push through and when to walk away and come back fresh.

6. Celebrating Small Moments

Some of the best moments aren’t flashy milestones - they’re small, private wins. Like getting a tricky setting just right. Or seeing a design sketch come to life. Or having a customer tell you they wear your piece every day. Those moments remind me why I started and why I still love this work.

Looking Ahead

After 20 years, I still feel lucky to do this every day. I still get excited to sit down at the bench, to hold a piece of gold and imagine what it could become. As I launch my new 18ct gold collection to mark this anniversary, I’m bringing everything I’ve learned into the work: the love of design, the attention to detail, the commitment to craft, and the joy of making pieces I truly believe in.

Here’s to the next 20 years and to all of you who’ve worn, gifted, and cherished my work along the way. Thank you for being part of the journey. Rachel