Iona Hall, a jeweller and silversmith based in Bristol, is deeply inspired by the rugged coastline of Moray, where her family relocated when she was 12. As a child, she would spend hours walking along the shore, collecting treasures and noticing the smallest details: the shapes of stones, the lines of seaweed, and the textures of shells and pebbles. This sense of discovery - of constantly finding something new - has become central to her jewellery and silver objects, and it’s exactly what she hopes people experience when they encounter the Moray Coast Collection.

Iona’s work is deeply personal, blending abstract design with a tactile, interactive quality. Iona specialises in box making, creating objects that invite exploration and hold emotional resonance. She begins her process on the beach or from her photographs, translating lines, shapes, and patterns into drawings that guide her metalwork. Techniques like chasing, repoussé, scoring, folding, and precise hinge making allow her to craft functional, enduring pieces, often highlighted with contrasting finishes or gold plating.

Every piece is intended to be handled and treasured, bridging the practical and the poetic. In her Moray-inspired collections, each discovery - from a pebble to a sculptural form - becomes a lasting memory. Now presenting her Moray Coast Collection for the first time as part of the Goldsmiths’ Centre’s Shine 2025 new talent showcase and training programme, Iona is excited to share the story of her latest collection in her own words.

Falling Love with Metals

'My mum was an artist, so growing up she heavily influenced my creativity. For as long as I can remember, art was the only direction I was going to take. So, I studied Jewellery and Silversmithing at Glasgow School of Art and then went on to Bishopsland Educational Trust in Reading. Being at Bishopsland introduced me to the industry and taught me the beginning stages of running a business. That’s when I really thought: ‘OK, I can do this as a career’. I built momentum to keep going, and during that time I won some awards and training bursaries, which gave me confidence and motivation.

It wasn’t an easy choice to focus on jewellery. I was very interested in textiles too, but at school I started making more 3D objects. My mum, who studied jewellery at art school, suggested I might enjoy it. I hated school, so at 17 I moved to Glasgow to study jewellery - and I just fell in love with metal. At first I wasn’t sure if I’d stick with it, but I knew I wanted to go to art school, and that path led me here. I’ve been working in metal ever since.'

From Coastlines to Composition

'I am now based in Bristol, but I grew up in England and Scotland, and from the age of 12 I lived in a rural coastal area in Moray. Beaches have always been part of my life. I love looking down at the shapes, lines, unusual objects, seaweed, shells, and pebbles. When I’m on the beach I’m constantly discovering new things, and that’s what I want people to feel when they look at my work - that same sense of discovery.

My design style is abstract. It’s about angular structures versus organic lines, and a lot to do with shape, line, and composition. I design in three stages. I usually start on the beach, drawing or taking photographs, zooming in on rocks or seaweed or something that catches my eye. I’ll take those lines and shapes, do further drawings, collage them, and refine the compositions. Then I’ll make paper samples to test size, angles, and proportions. The third stage is the detail - the surface design, textures, or techniques. Sometimes I even make the shape in silver first and then draw directly onto it with a pen, rubbing out and reworking until the design feels right.'

Treasures of Moray: A Collection of Discovery

'The Moray Coast Collection is inspired by the beaches of Moray, where my family lives. Each piece has a different element - movement, shape, or stone - so that as you look from one piece to another you’re always discovering something new. It’s a mixture of jewellery and silversmithing, with wearable designs alongside objects, all intended to be precious keepsakes.

For this collection I pushed myself with new techniques. I’ve been working with both silver and gold, sometimes using a new gold plating pen to highlight sections of silver. I’ve also refined my box-making and hinge-making skills, exploring new scales and mechanisms.

My love of boxes actually began at art school, when I took a course at West Dean and made my first box. I fell in love with the process and began focusing on boxes and objects. My jewellery now often grows out of those ideas - abstractions of the objects I design.'

Functional Design with a Spark

'One of my favourite pieces is a lighter, covered in opals. It was one of the first pieces I used the gold plating pen on, and I loved the results. It’s small, tactile, and has that satisfying Zippo click when you open it. Making it was very technical - I copied the form of a lighter, made a silver casing, and engineered the hinge so it worked perfectly. It was challenging but really fun.

Another favourite is a paint box, one of my earliest functional pieces. Since then I’ve made card boxes and sewing kit boxes, and I’d love to keep progressing in this area -making functional objects that are also precious.

My work is for people who value high-quality craft, traditional skills, and meaningful keepsakes. I want my pieces to be used and loved, not locked away. Sometimes people see them at shows and say they’re too precious to touch, but I always encourage them to pick them up - everything I make is meant to be handled and enjoyed.'

Pushing Forward: Skills, Creativity, and Future Plans

'Being chosen for Shine means a lot - it feels like recognition of both my creativity and my business. The support makes me more confident, and I feel ready to absorb the skills I need at this stage of my career and put them into practice. I’m excited to see what opportunities it brings and how it pushes me forward.

What I’m most looking forward to now are the opportunities Shine will open up: getting my work seen by more people, putting into practice the skills I’ve learned about business, marketing, and photography, and meeting other makers. Running a jewellery business is so much more than just making - it’s organisation, promotion, and resilience.

Making this collection has sparked so many ideas. I want to dedicate more time to developing my work, experimenting with techniques like plating and hinges, and seeing how far I can push those ideas. I’ve got a residency coming up, which is the perfect time to explore them further. I’d also love to take part in prestigious shows like Goldsmiths’ Fair in the future. For now, I’m proud of this collection, excited to share it, and looking forward to seeing where the journey takes me.'