Tabitha Higgins Jewellery

Sometimes simple is the way to go. This very beautiful sparkly diamond is set in platinum. Platinum is extremely durable and strong. It doesn't tarnish and has a really high melting temperature which makes working with it easier in some ways for the jeweller (no accidental melting moments!). Although, because it is very hard we have to put more effort into polishing it. It's a perfect choice for a ring like this and compliments the diamond well.

There is nothing like a row of gorgeous half carat diamonds to add sparkle to the day. Congratulations Kitty, I hope you have a glorious wedding. 18ct yellow gold with a total of 3 carats of natural diamonds.

Working with something unusual and special today. This is a dolphin vertebrae. It was found by my good friend Katree who makes beautiful creations using...all kinds of treasure found in the wild. I'm adding some silver tube. I drill under water because it's not good to breath the dust. I wonder what she will make with these. There are two...and some teeth. Thank you to the beautiful dolphin. I hope you lived a long and happy life. Have a look at Katree's work

It's been a while for a workshop update...I have actually been working in my new workshop but it's been slow finishing off the details. Today I finally have power connected!!! We are off grid so it's all solar. No more lugging the generator around! We built a room that will be my polishing room so all the grot can be contained. That still needs a door and window but it has light! The other thing I've done today is bake a loaf of bread in my solar oven. It's SO cool! Completely cooked by the sun. Off grid cooking and off grid working. Hooray!

It's been a while since I gave you a workshop update. This is finally my view from my bench! We mostly finished building my workshop and then I disappeared to the UK to see my family after a looong three year covid break. My mum came back to Tassie with me and my workshop became her bedroom. Now she has gone again and my tools and I are gradually moving in! Hooray! I've been working in a shipping container for the last few years which has been freezing in winter and hot in summer. My new workshop isn't completely finished yet but enough to finally be more comfortable and enjoy my work again. Someone is laying down on the job though. Can you see her?

I have a window! Not just any old window though. This is my socialising window. It's at just about the right hight for my three long eared friends to come and check if I'm being productive.

I am getting REALLY excited now! I am starting to get a sense of how fantastic my new workshop will be. We've been working really hard to try to get the roof on before a load of rain that's forecast in a few days. So.many.nails.to.hammer.in.

We have three walls up! It looks enormous in the pictures but it's just because I'm a little person... It's 4m x 7.2m. I want to be able to teach 6 people in there without being squished. I also had my workshop snoopervisors come and check on progress. It's amazing that loud hammering doesn't seem to bother my friends with ginormous ears.

I've swapped the tiny tools for the big fella ones and we are building me a new workshop. So far I have a floor and a spectacular view. I'm SO excited! Since we moved to this new property a year and a half ago I've been working in a shipping container. Baking in summer and freezing in winter and far from ideal. I think I'm about to go up in the world. Oh, and for those of you who's jewellery I'm working on now (you know who you are), I haven't completely downed the small tools....

All the bits and pieces I've been showing you lately came together to make a bee 'Hidden Treasure'! White and yellow gold, titanium, orange sapphires and a diamond. The bees and sapphires move around freely under the glass. I've wanted to make a bee themed one for a while and was so happy when I got this commission. Hooray! It evolved differently in my head than I expected so maybe there'll be another one in future... Hope you liked it.

Bees by Bee. These little ones are white and yellow gold. They go with the piece I've been showing you over the last few days. I made a swarm.

Look! Look what titanium does! Most metals react with oxygen. Oxygen causes them to oxidise. Sterling silver goes black, iron goes red (rust). Titanium (with the help of heat or electricity to speed up the process) turns beautiful blues and purples. The surface oxide on titanium is very hard and durable which makes it suitable for jewellery. Here we have parts of the piece I've been gradually revealing. As well as titanium there is white and yellow gold....and some discs of glass...tune in tomorrow to see more progress.

This piece will have a mix of white gold, yellow gold and titanium. I cut out and domed the titanium flower. After doming a piece of yellow gold I drilled holes and cut out a grid of hexagons. There's plenty of doming going on. The second picture shows you how I do this. I cut discs of metal and use a ball punch and a steel block with corresponding holes and gradually shape them to the one I want.

Sometimes (usually) I can't post pics of my work straight away as it's often a gift and I have to wait until after it's been given. I've been working on this very very special piece for a while. It's all finished and has winged it's way to the other side of the world. I hope it's wearer enjoyed opening it on Christmas day. I'm going to reveal it to you gradually so you see the making process...there's quite a lot to it! Here's the first instalment. White gold discs become domes and a flower shape cut out of titanium. The metals look similar in their raw state but are very different to work with. Gold is soft and easier to work with in a lot of ways. Titanium is hard and has restrictions to how you work with it but has a very unique magic power. All will become clear if you tune in to the coming posts....

Happy World Donkey Day! This is one of my two donkeys. I think she's so beautiful. I'm going to be building a new workshop in the next year or two and it'll have a donkey height window so they can come and visit while I work.

Caro's earrings finished. Eucalyptus leaves are such an elegant shape. Rose and yellow gold.

Caro wanted something to remind her of Australia as she goes back to Europe in a few weeks. These are rose and yellow gold. I like them before they have been polished.

There was a fashion for human hair to be used in Victorian jewellery. This pendant has hair in it but not a humans. It belonged to a most beloved and beautiful dog called Marley. Marley's owners very sadly lost him and asked me to design and make a pendant that contained his fur. Hopefully I have honoured how lovely he was.