Some time after Kathleen’s gift of her beautiful brooch, I was visiting the Goldsmiths’ Fair. This is the annual “must see” event for jewellers, silversmiths and goldsmiths staged by the Goldsmiths’ Company at their grand Hall in the City of London. I was definitely more aware of jewellers (or indeed silversmiths) making brooches and decided I wanted to find something for myself as a present for my impending birthday. I chatted to several people who’s work I knew already or was new to me and one of the more lengthy conversations developed with the jeweller Grace Girvan. I had known of Grace’s work for some time and had always admired its honesty and truth to materials.

Her brooches were a little on the large size for me I decided, being aware of my budget too, and I spotted a lovely pair of ovoid earrings that could make a delightful brooch if one were to be made at a larger scale. We discussed this - the size, how the pin would work, the final finish and of course the price and the deal was done. My first commission.

What a delight it was, just a few short weeks later, to receive and open the package that arrived from Scotland. I was thrilled with the piece. I found it so rewarding to have had the opportunity to speak with the maker and discuss how it would be made and now here it was in my hand.

I think there can be a certain aura around the idea of commissioning that makes it feel it a pursuit of the very wealthy only. It is true that many pieces will cost a lot of money, through the materials chosen, scale, techniques and time spent making, but I had found in this first foray into the creation of something bespoke, that it wasn’t only huge sums of money that were needed. The brooch had cost £100, which is still a sum of money but perhaps not as much as we might imagine of a hand made and individual piece of jewellery.