Rising star: Elizabeth Humble

The natural world has been an inspiration to many creatives. William Wordsworth wrote screeds of poetry about the wilds of the Lake District, and artist J M W Turner wouldn’t have risen to global fame without the British landscapes.

For jewellery designer Elizabeth Humble, her inspiration was the west coast of Scotland where she grew up.

“It is so rugged and beautiful,” she says. “I’m inspired by the endless depth of detail in the fragmented hillsides. I love to study the unearthed details of weather-beaten landscapes and translate my drawings into beautiful pieces of jewellery.”

The pieces are as wonderful as the landscapes that inspired them. Shard-like structures adorn rings; necklaces have details on them that look like small rock formations; and there are earrings that resemble an Etch a Sketch drawing - all lines and no curves.

The pieces from Humble’s Fragments collection have names that represent the places that inspired them, from Bellanoch bangles to Port Ellen earrings.

Those in the debut Fragile Landscape collection have names that seem at odds with their industrial appearance. A robust looking ring is called Vulnerable, while a necklace is given the moniker Tremble.

In order to create these shapes, Humble devised her own layering technique while she was studying at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art in Dundee.

“I found that by building up layers of wires I was able to translate my drawing technique into silver, just like I build up layers of tone in a sketch,” she says. “It took the majority of my final year to perfect and can still be a little tricky.”

However, the dedication has paid off. Last year Humble won The Goldsmiths’ Company award for Jewellery at the New Designers exhibition and this year was given the New Designers One Year On award.

“It meant so much to me and I felt very privileged,” says Humble. “The Goldsmiths’ Company award gave me the confidence to keep developing as a designer, and the time to create a new signature collection, Fragments.

“The One Year On award was such a surprise. It made me feel like all the hard work I had put into building my brand for the first year after graduating had been recognised.”
And it’s not just the industry that has noticed Humble’s designs, she was recently featured in the Sunday Telegraph’s Stella magazine, after etailer Astley Clarke awarded her its Gold Award and retailed her debut collection.

Humble has another collection in the pipeline, which she says will feature “lots more sparkling gemstones”, and her long-term aim is to sell globally

If she continues creating such arresting pieces of jewellery, global domination certainly won’t be a problem.

Q & A
Whose work do you admire in the industry? Misun Won and Ruth Tomlinson.
How would you describe your style? Edgy and sophisticated, bringing a contemporary feel into luxury jewellery.
What advice would you give to anyone wanting to be a jewellery designer? Maintain your focus, and stay up to date with everything. Always stay true to yourself and keep setting yourself goals no matter how idealistic you may think they are at the time.
Which designs are you most proud of? The Vulnerable ring. This was a statement piece from my debut collection Fragile Landscape, and it shows off beautifully my signature look.
What piece of jewellery should retailers stock? Definitely the Ederline necklace. It sparkles with faceted gemstones. I think it’s going to be a big hit at Christmas.

For more information
Email: lizhumble@hotmail.com
Web: www.elizabethhumble.com

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