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Our ‘Maker of the Month’ series takes a closer look at the talented designer-makers at Oxo Tower Wharf on London’s South Bank. Each month highlights a new designer-maker and explores each maker’s story, product, and creative process.
For this instalment of the series, we spoke to Ros Millar and Milena Kovanovic of The Ringsmiths. The Ringsmiths run jewellery-making workshops here at Oxo Tower Wharf with a team of 8 jewellers, running over 6 jewellery-making techniques that you can enjoy experimenting with at their studio.
Ros and Milena are both jewellers with 25 years of experience in the industry between them, coming together to create The Ringsmiths back in 2019. They opened their Oxo Tower Wharf studio as a workshop space in March 2022. While running their workshops in the large open space at the front, the studio is also used to create their bespoke jewellery pieces commissioned by clients, creating a dynamic, mixed-use space in the studio.
Lots of their workshops involve ring-making, but they also run a necklace and bangle workshop, so participants can learn a variety of different jewellery-making processes. Each workshop is completely accessible to everyone, no background knowledge or experience of jewellery-making is required to take part!
Ros and Milena tell us what they love about having a studio at Oxo Tower Wharf is being part of the creative designer-maker community and being around so many other makers, as well as being so centrally based on the riverside on London’s South Bank.
They feel grateful to be part of such an iconic landmark and design destination such as Oxo Tower Wharf, and to have such a beautiful space to work in, with floor-to-ceiling windows bringing in a lot of natural light into the studio. This was what drew the duo to the studio spaces at Oxo Tower Wharf, as the natural light feels welcoming and inviting to both workshop attendees and anyone passing by, who may be curious to find out more about the shop.
The Ringsmiths reuse all the offcuts and pieces of silver they get in their other workshops when creating rings in their ‘Make & Cast a Signet Ring’ workshop. The metal is melted down and then made back into fresh pieces of jewellery. It’s a very circular process as they aim to recycle their materials as much as possible, reducing waste and ensuring their jewellery remains bespoke, sustainable, and environmentally friendly.
At Home Kits: Make your own silver ring at home!
Did you know that you can also make your own sterling silver or signet ring at home?
Ring-making with The Ringsmiths isn’t exclusive to the workshops. Customers can order a ‘Design Your Own Silver Ring At Home Kit’ delivered straight to your door, so you can still take part in the fun and creativity of ring-making from the comfort of your own home.
Each kit is made of recycled cardboard and sent out in compostable mailers with a Fair Trade cotton pouch which contains all your tools within the kit. Each kit also comes with wax pre-sized to fit, a second wax to practice in, a protective tin and an envelope to return your wax in and have it cast in recycled sterling silver.
To order your own At Home Kit, click here.
We asked Ros and Milena: “If you had to describe The Ringsmiths in three words, which three words would you pick?”
They responded: “Creative, inclusive, and fun!”
Visit The Ringsmiths at Oxo Tower Wharf to join a ‘Silver Ring’, ‘Signet Ring’, ‘Silver Necklace’ or ‘Torque Bangle’ workshop to create your own bespoke jewellery piece, made with sustainability in mind and designed entirely by you.
Find out more about each workshop and sign up on their website:
Meet our designer-makers at Oxo Tower Wharf:
