This pendant and pair of earrings were inspired by tiny broken beach shells which seemed perfect to Martina Hamilton, their tide-weathered appearance holding great appeal. The pieces were handmade in sterling silver and hand plated with 22k gold.
Growing up in a remote location on the wild Atlantic coastline informed Martina Hamilton’s life as a maker. After completing a degree in fine art at IT Sligo, she went on to study jewellery making. In 1989 she established her studio in County Sligo, a place in which she has deep roots. Surrounded by her native environment she creates beautiful pieces influenced by the land and sea, finding inspiration by walking and beachcombing. Martina aims to create work with an emotional connection and timeless quality. Her jewellery brings to mind frozen pieces of the landscape, trapped in silver and gold; each work resonates with a sense of place, captured by the hand of a skilled craftsperson.
Read the full interviewPhoto: © Peter Martin
This pendant and pair of earrings were inspired by tiny broken beach shells which seemed perfect to Martina Hamilton, their tide-weathered appearance holding great appeal. The pieces were handmade in sterling silver and hand plated with 22k gold.
Photo: © Peter Martin
Many thematic elements are combined in Martina Hamilton’s Golden Shore collection. This sterling silver pendant was inspired by rich imagery: broken urchin shells, striations of sand after an outgoing tide, the rise of the moon and the setting of the sun on a north Sligo beach near Martina's home. Elements of the pendant were hand plated in 22k gold.
Photo: © All rights reserved
Inspired by delicate broken shells found on the Sligo coastline in the northwest of Ireland, this pendant has contrasting charms in rose gold and silver, connected by a chain.
Photo: © All rights reserved
The design for this pair of rose gold earrings was inspired by the delicate detail of structures that occur in the small rock pools on Streedagh beach close to Martina Hamilton’s home in Sligo. Each earring is fitted with a semi-precious stone at its centre.
Photo: © Peter Martin
Resembling the flame of a candle, this stunning pendant is a celebration of elegance and femininity, passion and strength. Part of a collection of jewellery commissioned by the National Museum of Ireland to mark 1000 years since the Battle of Clontarf, a defining event in Irish history.