Christopher Thompson Royds

Jewellery maker

Immortalising flowers in gold

Christopher specialises in making gold jewellery that double as art pieces
He draws inspiration from his hometown in the English countryside
His pieces are exhibited in museums worldwide

Christopher Thompson Royds uses gold to immortalise floral motifs in permanent golden jewellery. Inspired by nature’s quiet power and the Oxfordshire countryside, where he grew up, Christopher's works can be serious or light, precious or playful. He studies how objects can carry meaning quietly through form, material and context. “I make jewellery, but I think of it as a way of exploring ideas through metal and moving between worlds,” he says. Christopher studied jewellery at the London Metropolitan University and has a masters of art from the Royal College of Art. His objects adorn museums in the USA and Europe, including the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Swiss National Museum in Zurich and the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston.

Interview

Did you learn your craft from a mentor?: There are tutors who played a pivotal role in the development of my practice. At the Cass, Robin Kyte encouraged me to treat technique not as a set of rules, but as a starting point. I learned to understand the process then make it my own. This approach has shaped the way I work ever since.
What was the first jewellery piece you made?: I was 12 years old when I made my first piece of metal jewellery – a Greek love knot ring in silver, which my mother still holds on to. Before that, I was already making daisy chain necklaces and crowns out of bryony vines I found in the English countryside.
What does your crafting process look like?: I would describe my process as sketching in brass, rather than on paper. I shape forms from hammered sheets and drawn wires. With the flower pieces, I am not chasing botanical accuracy, but rather trying to capture their essence. I model, refine and rework my object until it feels right in the hand.
Why do flowers hold such an important place in your work?: For millennia, flowers have been used to adorn the body. My collections seek to replicate this simple action. That is why I make each piece detachable to become earrings, a brooch or a pendant. The wearer can pluck the flower head from the stem and place it in their ears or button holes.

Christopher Thompson Royds is a master artisan: he began his career in 2010 and he started teaching in 2010