Q & A with Judith Peterhoff
Location: South East London
Discipline: Jewellery
Biography:
Training with some of the world’s best jewellers, German-born Judith studied jewellery design at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design Maastricht (MAFAD) before moving to London.
She founded her studio in 2018 and has been recognised by the Goldsmiths’ Centre as one of the UK’s top emerging jewellery talents, graduating from the business incubator Setting Out in 2019.
With her fine jewellery Judith has been featured in Wallpaper* Magazine, Something About Rocks, Katerina Perez and many more.
Creative practice/process:
In my work I explore what it means to be human — a fleeting moment, a touch — celebrating our individual quirks as human beings. My jewellery is shaped of organic forms, creating a dappled and delicate aesthetic. Effortlessly elegant with a focus on materials, wearability and ease, my intricate and tactile jewellery is made from recycled gold and silver, embellished with gemstones and diamonds. My designs are made by combining traditional goldsmithing techniques with modern technology such as computer aided design and 3D printing. Minimising waste and exploring new ways of making beautifully intricate jewellery.
I draw designs by hand, refining them over and over again until they are ready to be translated into a 3D model on the computer. Once cast in metal I often shape and form the casting into different pieces. Adding a matte finish and then polishing up the tactile texture I created in CAD. My initial inspiration for the texture comes from a background in chasing and repousse, I looked for a way to translate the texture I had created by hand into solid pieces rather than building them up from sheet.
Your sustainability / environmental credentials:
It’s important to me to have ethics at the core of my jewellery business and to give my customers the chance to feel good about their choices when buying jewellery. Small-scale, in-house production is important to me. I work with local reputable suppliers that share my ethical values.
All my work is made from recycled sterling silver and gold, conflict-free diamonds and gemstones. I’m a faitrade and and fairmined registered jeweller. This year I have pledged to make 10% of my stock pieces in fairly traded metals working towards eventually making 100% in faitrade metal.
I’m part of ecologi, an online platform to take action against climate change. Every month I offset my personal and business’ carbon emissions and contribute to reforestation efforts.
What is the best advice you have received? Tell us any benefits you have experienced. What advice would you give to an aspiring maker?
My advice to an aspiring maker would be to not be afraid to ask for help, be patient and practice resilience. And then ‘go for it!’. There’s brilliant support out there for makers and there’s no shame in asking for help. Once you feel ready, run with it and don’t look back, just keep going. It’s going to be tough but if it was easy, everyone would do it.
Judith Peterhoff, Orno Statement Necklace, Sterling Silver, 18inches, £495.
Judith Peterhoff, Orno Slice Earrings, Sterling Silver,
approx 30mm long, £90.
See works for sale at MADE London
