Hello, I friend of mine just offered to take me to London for a
week next month with a group of our friends. I’ve never been
outside of N. America before and I like the offer! Can anyone
suggest any good galleries/rock shops in the area? Even places to
take a short class would be great. Thank you Orchid members!
Amy O’Connell
Amy O’Connell Jewelry
http://www.ezmo.com/amy
Be sure to go to Electrum Gallery and The Victoria & Albert
Museum. Have fun.
Steven Brixner - Jewelry Designer - San Diego CA USA
mailto:@Steven_Brixner4
http://home.att.net/~brixner
Amy, If you don’t go anywhere else, be sure to see the jewelry
exhibit at the Victoria and Albert museum. There may not be
another to compare with it in the world. Of course no trip to
London would be complete without seeing the British Crown jewels
in the Tower of London. Jerry in Kodiak
My first thought is ask about a small group visit to Goldsmiths
Hall. It is a fabulous early 19th c building, and you may visit
the Assay Office where hallmarking is done. (by appointment
only). In the City of London close by St Pauls. Address: Deputy
Warden, Goldsmith’s Hall, Foster Lane, London EC2V 6BN Tel: 0207
606 8975. Also near is Hatton Garden, the diamond district -
check out the tool suppliers! The district known as St James’s and
Bond Street is packed with silver and jewellery shops, incl.
Wartski the Faberge dealer. Victoria & Albert Museum has the
major collections of silver and jewellery.
Richard Mervyn Leveridge, Oxford.
when you are are at the V and A–GO TO THE CRAFT SHOP in the
museum and ask for the craft shop map–that will give you the
best galleries in london and all over england–but he is
right–Electrum is by for the best enjoy
also the british design center and the lesley craze gallery are
good
polly daeger
Victoria and Albert Museum, South Kensington have a revamped
Silver Gallery opening mid February. The Crafts Council shop
inside the V and A are also having an exhibition “Silver 2000”.
They produce and sell a magazine “Crafts”, in the back it has a
list of current exhibitions in the various galleries around
London and elsewhere. Pricey, but worth having a look through to
pick out the jewellery ones Ann Simcox.
Hi Amy It is a time since I lived there but it is my home town.
When I did my jewellery design course many years ago I spent most
of my life in the V & A ( Victoria and Albert Museum ) It was
originally an offshoot for the British Museum when they ran out
of space. The British Museum would be worth a look aswell. You
could also try Goldsmiths Hall in Foster Lane they sometimes have
exibitions on. Some years ago when I popped back for a week I
managed to catch a Lalique exibition on there. Just down the road
from there is the Barbican Centre which houses the London Museum.
If you like walking you can cut across through Smithfield meat
market to Hatton Garden and Clarkenwell. Hatton Garden is the
commercial Jewellery centre, not too much of interest unless you
know of workshops to visit. I first worked in Old Bond Street in
the West End of London as I didn’t really like Hatton Garden
very much. It over looked Burlington Arcade its an area you might
find interesting.
If you are after galleries try the Electrum gallery in South
Molton Street, the Lesley Craze Gallery I think it is in
Clarkenwell. There is also the Design Centre. You might find some
more on Independent Craft Galleries Association
I don’t think you will have time for a course but the two main
centres in London for Jewellery are Sir John Cass and the Royal
College of Art. As far as I know they only do full time courses
or part time over a period of a year or more. You might try
contacting them to find out.
Hope this helps a little. Have a wonderful time
Chris Hackett
Hi Amy
It is a time since I lived there but it is my home town. When I
did my jewellery design course many years ago I spent most of my
life in the V & A ( Victoria and Albert Museum ) It was
originally an offshoot for the British Museum when they ran out
of space. The British Museum would be worth a look aswell. You
could also try Goldsmiths Hall in Foster Lane they sometimes have
exibitions on. Some years ago when I popped back for a week I
managed to catch a Lalique exibition on there. Just down the road
from there is the Barbican Centre which houses the London Museum.
If you like walking you can cut across through Smithfield meat
market to Hatton Garden and Clarkenwell. Hatton Garden is the
commercial Jewellery centre, not too much of interest unless you
know of workshops to visit. I first worked in Old Bond Street in
the West End of London as I didn’t really like Hatton Garden
very much. It over looked Burlington Arcade its an area you might
find interesting.
If you are after galleries try the Electrum gallery in South
Molton Street, the Lesley Craze Gallery I think it is in
Clarkenwell. There is also the Design Centre. You might find some
more on Independent Craft Galleries Association
I don’t think you will have time for a course but the two main
centres in London for Jewellery are Sir John Cass and the Royal
College of Art. As far as I know they only do full time courses
or part time over a period of a year or more. You might try
contacting them to find out.
Hope this helps a little. Have a wonderful time
Chris Hackett
Somewhere else you might like to take a look at, if you’re in
London, is The Soane Museum in Lincoln’s Inn Fields. Nearest tube
is Holborn. Sir John Soane was an architect who moved into this
townhouse in 1792…he used colour and light to transform it
and to house his amazing collection of archeological
’stuff’…Definately worth a visit and it’s FREE .But call first
for opening times.The tel. # will be in the phone book. Has
anybody mentioned the British Craft Council in Pentonville Road
…? they have a good slide collection and it’s very close to
Islington which is full of shops and interesting restaurants.
Alison