Castro Smith

Jewellery maker

©Castro Smith

©The Financial Times

©Castro Smith

The lord of rings

Castro masters metal intaglio engraving
His rings are symbolic creations of hope and memory
For him, working on custom pieces is a cathartic experience

The inspiration for Castro Smith’s jewellery creations come from his background in the north-east of England, and his time spent in Japan. His skills in metal engraving and carving were honed with a one-year experience in Japan, where he learned under different master artisans. For him designing jewellery through engraving is a platform similar to that of creating short stories for a writer. The ring is the perfect canvas to experiment and create miniature narratives in intaglio engravings, and to Castro these must stand the test of time. Currently, he closely works with a small team of other artisans in a shared workspace in London, where they can learn from each other, create and train as a unit. Castro believes that craft is something learned when you are older, but that being a creator is innate, and that (re-)setting limits over time is the way to improve and push creativity further.

Where

Interview

©Castro Smith

©Castro Smith

Can you share memories of the first work you made?: I cannot really say, my early drawings and sketchbooks are now gone, and as for my rings, some are lost at the bottom of oceans as we are forgetful and clumsy creatures at heart… All the others are hopefully safely worn on people’s hands, or ready to be given to the next generation of loved ones.
What do you have in mind when creating a ring?: A combination of dark and bright, with light revealing itself from darkness. I like to try to understand a person's identity, remembering loved ones and how hard we work for things. There is always something new to discover under the surface.
What does well made mean to you?: It means that a piece has to be made with a lot of soul, not just a skin. It matters how it is made and by whom, it should have belonging, with thought to its meaning and how it is understood, especially with regard to its owner.
Is workshop life important to you?: After having had different experiences – including having a workshop in my living room and an experience at Sarabande Foundation – I currently work with a team at Cockpits Arts, an incubator space for experienced makers. We closely work together teaching each other and learning from one another.

Castro Smith is a master artisan: he began his career in 2013 and he started teaching in 2012