Where the Story begins.
Foundry Collection begins with a material that already has a history. During a visit to Newcastle Foundries, one of Newcastle’s oldest businesses established in 1890, Suzanne expained her vision to make a sustainable jewellery collection from industrial waste. Suzanne was introduced to the compelling byproduct of industrial casting: bronze metal spill.
Newcastle Foundries has long supplied ferrous and non-ferrous castings and components to industries across the region. It’s a place defined by heat, labour, and transformation. Foundry Collection honours that lineage, carrying it forward in a new form.
What is bronze ‘spill’?
When molten bronze is poured into industrial moulds, small amounts can sometimes escape and solidify on contact with the surrounding surface sand. The result is an irregular, organic shape formed by chance: raw edges, unexpected curves, and textured surfaces that record the moment of making.
These fragments are usually discarded. For Foundry Collection, they become the starting point.
From Bronze Flotsam to Wearable Sculpture.
Suzanne collects these bronze forms, selecting pieces for their balance, character, and potential for wear. Each fragment is then refined through a thoughtful process of washing, sculpting, grinding, smoothing and finishing. The aim is not to erase the foundry’s imprint, but to preserve it, while creating a piece that feels considered, comfortable, and lasting.
There is no template and no replication. The foundry creates the beginning. Suzanne completes the transformation.
Why Every Piece is One of a Kind.
Because the original shapes are created by chance from the spill during casting, no two fragments are ever alike. There is no mould and no repeatable form. Every piece is singular, the result of industrial process meeting the artist’s hand.
Foundry Collection pieces are designed to be worn, held, and lived with. They carry the traces of their origin, reimagined in contemporary jewellery form.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Foundry Collection made from?
Foundry Collection is made from reclaimed bronze ‘splash’ or ‘spill’ fragments produced during industrial casting at Newcastle Foundries (est. 1890).
Why is each piece unique?
The starting forms are created by chance during the casting process, so no two pieces begin the same and there is no exact replication.