Cora Baillie
Corazon
Cora makes jewellery from solid sterling silver wire and sheet, semi-precious gems, and her own handmade glass beads. These individually handmade jewellery pieces are crafted using glass- and metal-working techniques and tools that haven’t changed much since the Middle Ages.
Starting with a beginners’ course with the Silversmiths’ Guild over 20 years ago, Cora is constantly experimenting and refining her techniques. She has taken in-person courses with the London Jewellery School, Der Schmuck Academy in Cologne, Germany, Metalsmiths in Florence, Italy, and Der Silber Feille in Munich, Germany. She has also done online courses with the Lucy Walker Academy and At the Bench (UK).
Cora is a member of Arts Canterbury and the Silversmiths’ Guild of Canterbury. She is also a tutor for the Guild’s Level 2 and 3 classes given in their purpose-built studio at The Tannery in Woolston, Christchurch, and has a studio at home for jewellery making. She makes her own intricate designs, always pushing the boundaries of her skills, and enjoys making custom-designed pieces for commissions.
In 2019, Southern Ballet School asked Cora to design a charm bracelet with a new charm each year to celebrate the school’s annual performance.
For the Planets Collection, Cora takes inspiration from NASA photographs of planets and moons in our Solar System, NASA artist impressions of planets in other star systems in our galaxy, and artist impressions of planets in “galaxies far, far away”.
The planet and moon beads are melted, wound, and detailed by hand, drawing on artisan lampwork techniques. The pendants are threaded on sterling silver chain with sterling silver bead-caps made from recycled silver. Earrings are set on handmade Argentium© Sterling Silver ear wires which are hypoallergenic and resist tarnish.