Karen J Ward

Looking to escape the world of finance, and to return to my passion for creating art, I finally found my calling six years ago and retrained at York School of Jewellery where I am currently based.

I work with precious metals and gemstones and I love the process of bringing my ideas to life. Using traditional skills, I transform flat sheets of metal into beautiful and wearable art. I live in a rural village near York, and inspiration comes from my fascination for nature, for the textures, shapes and curves found all around.

I combine designing and making my stunning jewellery collections, informed by my detailed drawings, with my position as Co-Director/Maker at The Beautiful Splint Company CIC. I design and create bespoke orthotic splints. These splints provide support for hand, wrist and finger conditions (such as rheumatoid arthritis and hyper-mobility syndrome) whilst being beautiful pieces of jewellery in their own right reflecting my distinctive style.