Kate Stewart

My Dad was an engineer and as an only child I was in awe of him and fascinated by his work. I would often go into the factory with him on a Saturday morning, we would walk through the factory floor between the machinery and tools and up the mezzanine stairs to his drawing office that overlooked the factory. At home he had a workbench set up at the back of the garage and taught me to do basic woodwork - at 12 I made my 'step' (a small stool) to take to my first football match at Anfield (home of my beloved LFC). Factory Floor Jewels is my homage to my Dad and all the skilled engineers of his generation. He passed away over 20 years ago and I have given pride of place to many of his tools in my workshop.

I'm inspired by industrial materials and processes, fascinated by factories and the skills of the people who work in them and what they make. I really enjoy finding out about how each material works and a signature style of all my collections is the beautiful and often unusual mix of materials. I work with Silver, Steel, Copper, Brass, Rubber and Concrete plus other materials that are offered to me to recycle or work with.

Most of my collections begin as me playing with new materials and stories. The materials are often found in or donated by factories and many are recycled or repurposed objects. When I work with Sterling Silver it is always recycled and as I work in my studio I am careful to capture and repurpose any waste.

Factory Floor Jewels pieces are timeless and an are uniquely bold and at the same time minimal. I like to think this represents the character of the customers who wear them. My pieces co-ordinate with any fashion style and work well from day into night. Factory Floor Jewels make you really feel like you and are always conversation starters.