We’re so excited to share our latest Artist Spotlight with you! This maker comes from the UK (who doesn’t love a great accent?!) and crafts beautiful, minimal, classic jewelry pieces that you’ll want to keep in your collection forever.
So, let’s dive into it! This morning we’re chatting with Matthew Calvin, and he’s shared some great tidbits about work/life balance, where he draws his inspo from, and how he starts his days. Lots of great info that you don’t want to miss. Enjoy!
Hi Matthew, tell us a little bit about yourself and your background.
Hi Ashley, nice to meet you. Ok, well I live in London with my partner Joe and our dog Colin. I have lived in London for about 10 years now after being brought up in Barcelona, Spain. For the last 6 years I’ve been running the jewellery brand Matthew Calvin. I have a background in womenswear design but moved into making jewellery after I discovered my passion for accessories.
Amazing! Describe your style as a maker. What medium do you use?
I produce contemporary, minimalist jewellery in a variety of metals including silver, gold and platinum. We produce my ready to wear pieces in sterling silver and then finish them with the desired surface treatment but I also offer bespoke services for custom pieces, such as wedding bands and engagement rings. There are so many different ways to produce jewellery, whether it’s working with the metal in it’s raw form or casting into metal using carved shapes. I also experiment a lot with CAD technology which allows us to produce really intricate, symmetrical pieces that wouldn’t be possible by hand.
My style is clean, simple and delicate. I like to let the metal do the hard work, often using high polished and textured finishes to give the pieces a luxury feel.
Where do you find inspiration?
For a long time I have discovered a lot of my inspiration in the geometric shapes found in architecture. I really enjoy how robust and industrial building materials can come together to form something beautiful. Recently however I have been looking into more natural, organic forms and really enjoy how these juxtapose with the manmade architectural silhouettes.
Love that! What’s a typical workday look like for you? Tell us about your process.
I usually get up early and walk the dog, grabbing a coffee on the way, to kick start my day. I try to make sure I put aside some time to focus on me and my personal life before tackling anything business related. It’s so easy for your professional life to creep into the personal, so I try to allow myself a few hours before getting stuck into the day.
If I’m designing or making then I like to start the process alone, sketching out ideas and styles. I then talk through the ideas with my team and we make collective decisions on which direction to go in for each collection. The process from sketch to finished piece usually takes a few months and during that time there will be a number of changes and tweaks that we make along the way. It’s a really creative and involved process which we all enjoy.
What does your workspace look like? Do you work from home or in a studio. Describe your space and personal style within it.
Our studio based in Hatton Garden, London’s jewellery quarter is essentially split into three sections. We have an office area which is the hub for all order dispatching, customer enquiries and sales. Another central area that is used for designing, making and repairing, with our jewellery bench in pride of place. We also have a relaxed seating area surrounded by plants where we have team meetings and bespoke customer consultations. For me, it’s so important to keep the studio tidy and ordered, we have over 700 different styles in stock so it’s crucial to be organised!
Who are some of your favorite artists? Musicians? People that inspire you?
For a long time I’ve been a huge admirer of architect Santiago Calatrava, his work is so beautifully unique but recognizable at the same time.
World Trade Centre by Architect Santiago Calatrava
Where can we see and/ or purchase your art?
All Matthew Calvin jewellery is available to buy online at matthewcalvin.com. We also run pop-up stores across London and the UK throughout the year, all of which we make sure to highlight over on our journal so that people have the opportunity to come in and enjoy the jewellery in person before they buy.
What are the next steps in your career?
My team and I are directing a lot of our attention to the retail side of the business at the moment, whether that be our online platforms or physical stores. I think at some point down the line, we would like to open our own bricks and mortar store but we have a lot of decisions to make first as a physical retail space can come with certain obstacles - especially when we’re living in such a digitally driven age. It would definitely be a turning point so let’s wait and see!
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It was a pleasure chatting with you Matthew, thank you!
If you’d like to see more of Matthew’s work, or add some to your collection, you can do so by visiting his Instagram, or his website.