A long time ago, whilst on a foundation course at Bradford College of Art, I made a silver claw setting for a ring. It was quite fiddly, so I was quite proud of my achievement, but much as I enjoyed the introduction to jewellery making I didn’t continue, choosing instead to do other things.

Then a few years ago I moved from Yorkshire to the Northumberland coast – a sea change – and started to find sparkling pieces of coloured glass on the beach. I’d never even heard of sea glass then, but thought it so beautiful that I began to look out for it, and so our walks became treasure hunts.

Sea change: A significant change in lifestyle, especially a move from the city to a rural or seaside location.

The first pieces I made were quite simple, drilling holes in the glass to attach jump rings and chains, but as I started to learn more and more I began to take it further, setting the glass in silver to make pendants, rings and earrings.

Recently, looking through an old jewellery box, I found the silver claw set ring I made all those years ago. I still think it’s pretty good! I love that I’ve returned to what I started, how I’ve come full circle, returning to jewellery making after all these years.