I'm usually working on several pieces at one time. There are different stages in my work which makes this a sensible approach. For example, at the design stage I often meet clients to discuss designs or communicate by post and email, which might result in sourcing stones, producing drawings or modelling on the bench. I also make speculative work i.e. pieces I want to make and offer for sale. (I have a small stock of finished work available for purchase.) The design stage can be quick, take a few weeks or even take place over several months, depending on the availability of stones and my client.

When a piece has been constructed, it has to be hallmarked (which takes place before polishing and the setting of stones). Hallmarking can take as long as two to three weeks close to Christmas but it is usually around a week. It is also an expensive process for a designer-maker like me who produces single pieces, as the Assay Office has a minimum charge and is really geared to large scale production. If I can gather a few pieces together for hallmarking this helps reduce costs. It's worth mentioning that hallmarking is a test of the quality of the precious metal, not the quality of the making. I work in all the precious metals – silver, palladium, gold and platinum and use a wide range of precious and semi precious stones sourced from stone merchants I have dealt with for many years.

I mainly fabricate pieces, that is to say, build them by using wire and sheet metal. The main techniques involve hammering to shape and form, sawing to remove metal, and soldering to join. The metal is bought from a bullion dealer such as Cookson. To reduce costs I sometimes cast pieces, and to do this the piece is first made in silver or directly in wax. If the model is in silver, a vulcanized synthetic rubber mould is made of the piece and wax is forced into the cavity. This is released by cutting the mould to release a wax model. Wax models are then investment cast to produce the final piece. Sometimes I enamel work or engrave (I employ an engraver as this is a very specialized craft).