The life of a jewellery maker in Falmouth

Since uploading my post about Maxine, I knew I wanted to dedicate a post to my friend and talented jewellery maker, Laura (AKA Porth Jewellery).

I first worked with Laura in 2022 during my first year of university – one of my assignments was to produce a photo series about a marine story, which was right up my street. One of the main reasons I chose to study Marine and Natural History Photography was because of my interest in the ocean, and although I didn’t go down the path of underwater photography, we were very much encouraged to explore marine stories above the water as well.

I came across Laura’s work after searching something along the lines of, ‘jewellery from the ocean’. I expected to find sea shell necklaces and turquoise bracelets, but one of the first results was Porth Jewellery. This shop was full of the most beautiful ocean-inspired jewellery, and I was particularly drawn to the sea glass.

I vaguely remember my Mum telling me to look for sea glass on the beach when I was young, but I imagine I looked for a few minutes and very quickly lost interest. Now, of course, I could look for hours. My point is, I was fairly new to the concept of sea glass jewellery.

For anyone who doesn’t know, sea glass is glass that has been weathered by the ocean, resulting in rounded edges and a frosted texture. It is generally found in small pieces and comes in all colours, although some are much rarer than others (yellow and red, for example).

There are some beaches, especially around Cornwall, where sea glass can be found in abundance, while others have very little. One of the amazing things about Laura’s jewellery is that it comes packaged with a small map highlighting where the sea glass was found. You’re guaranteed to receive a piece of genuine sea glass straight from the Cornish coastline.

She also creates bespoke pieces using sea glass provided by her customers – the perfect gift for a partner, friend or family member, especially if that sea glass encapsulates a memory or special place.

“Diamonds are produced by nature and shaped by man, sea glass is made by man and shaped by the ocean.”

Laura was kind enough to let me document her process from start to finish, very much like my project with Maxine. This included collecting the sea glass, making the jewellery, and sharing her knowledge with other people through her workshops. We were limited to six images in this project, which made the final selection very difficult! Laura’s process is so intricate that I wanted to share every step, which is why I’m grateful to have the opportunity to share all the photos now.

We initially met on Gyllyngvase (or ‘Gylly’) beach to look for sea glass. Although this isn’t a prime location, Laura did manage to find a rare piece of yellow glass (either I was a lucky charm, or she’s just really good at what she does - probably the latter).

Eventually we made it to her studio where I observed the making process. It’s fascinating to look back on these photos because there’s so much I would do differently. I used my Sigma 105mm F2.8 macro lens for most of these shots, and it was perhaps not the best choice. A great lens overall (with a slightly dodgy autofocus), but I would have benefitted from a shorter focal length.

I used a wider lens for the last image – although it’s not the most technically complex, it is one of my favourites, as it captures her at the centre of what she does. It has a feeling of organised chaos, which I think can be said for almost any artist and their workstation.

Not only is Laura a talented jewellery maker, she is also an incredible teacher. Before Porth Jewellery, she worked as a teacher for thirteen years, and then at a screen printers. After a relentless battle with long-covid, a friend of hers introduced her to jewellery making, and it wasn’t long until Laura had set up her own studio and business. Now, alongside running her shop, she hosts workshops in Falmouth town centre where she teaches people how to make all kinds of jewellery, from stacking rings and bangles to enamel earrings and, of course, sea glass jewellery.

Following our session at her studio, I attended/documented one of these sea glass workshops. This was the perfect conclusion to one of my favourite university projects.

The best thing about this entire experience was that we stayed in touch and had the opportunity to work together a couple of years later. I attended one of her sea glass workshops in 2024 (as a maker, not a photographer) and insisted I come back to photograph one of her stacking ring workshops. By this point, I had handed in all my final assignments and was excited to revisit a project that brought me so much joy.

This was extremely beneficial to me – not only did I get to work with another lovely group of people, but it provided a direct comparison of my work two years apart. It’s funny to look back on that first project and reflect on all the things I wouldn’t dream of doing now – shooting in JPEG instead of raw, using ‘cloudy mode’ indoors. At least I can say my course taught me a thing or two!

If you’re ever in the Falmouth area and looking for a fun activity to do with friends, family or by yourself, you won’t be disappointed by Laura’s workshops. Even if you’re not particularly crafty, you will come away with something beautiful and irreplaceable. Similarly, if you’d like to purchase a piece of jewellery, either for yourself or a loved one, check out Laura’s shop - she has a variety of necklaces, bangles, earrings, and may even be able to turn your own sea glass into jewellery for you.

As always, thank you for reading, and thank you, Laura!

Em x