Jinks’ story

Jinks began her jewellery career in the 1970’s. She discovered her creative niche through a short course in hand-skilled crafts and then enrolled at the ‘Berkshire College of Art and Design’. Under the professional tutelage of Brian Newble, her jewellery-making journey began in earnest. Her natural gift did not go unnoticed and the college hand-picked her for a Jewellery Masters Course along with two others. It was an opportunity she relished and, finding a quiet space in the basement of her home to set up a small workshop, her path was set.

Jinks likes to embrace interesting opportunities and challenges that come her way. In the 1980’s an unusual opening arose to teach jewellery at a nearby private school. Jinks loved the enthusiasm and reciprocal spark from the students so, when establishing her current workshop, in the mid 1990’s she purpose-built a central teaching area especially equipped for 5 students to work independently. From here Jinks runs a yearly programme of jewellery courses suitable for all abilities. Jinks’ wealth of experience in both jewellery and teaching has also led to authoring seven jewellery-technique books that offer step-by-step guidance. It’s wonderful to receive feedback from both aspiring and established jewellers as to how both her courses and her books have benefitted their learning.

This optimism and desire to share knowledge has earned Jinks an international reputation. For almost 15 years she has worked as jewellery consultant all around the world: delivering master-classes for jewellery businesses in Thailand, Pakistan and Mexico; training young, deaf jewellers in Nepal and supporting their workshop to create a viable, commercial collection; and on-going training and consultancy work to establish a number of jewellery workshops with Turquoise Mountain – a non-profit organisation that has built over 50 small businesses in Afghanistan, Myanmar, and the Middle East, supporting a new generation of artisan entrepreneurs who will not only drive economic development, but also preserve their unique cultures and traditions.

Over the decades Jinks has slowly created a homegrown haven in which she thrives. From her home, in a restored medieval Barn, at the foot of the Sussex Downs, she has her jewellery workshop, a training workshop, a gallery space and a holiday cottage; in all a hand-crafted masterpiece that is ever-evolving to fit around her passion for jewellery.

And… Suzy

Essential to the smooth running of everything in Jink’s workshop and office is her daughter Suzy Kew-Moss. Those of you who have been on courses, come to exhibitions or stayed in the holiday cottage will already have had emails or conversations with Suzy – and maybe also indulged in some of her cakes and jams from her own small business Suzy’s Streat Food. Suzy’s background is in Graphic Design, she created and maintains the website, designs the invitations and any marketing including instagram posts, she organises the course programmes and bookings, helps with internal exhibition planning and external exhibition applications as well as all the email correspondence and paperwork – all of which allows Jinks to be able to travel abroad for her training and consultancy work, and to be busy at the other end of the workshop teaching her students, or at the bench working on her next piece of jewellery.

⟶ Contact Jinks