"Like every other jeweller I know, I end each day at the bench with a big sweep. I gather silver dust, golden nuggets and all other leftover materials. Everything is kept in a big jar to be sold as recyclable scrap. In Spring 2023 I decided to upsticks and I moved from central London to a caravan in Scotland. With no postal address or access to new material, I set myself a challenge. What could I create with my wonky bits of silver?

I foraged through my pile of treasure to discover that I had accumulated a trove of little silver 'caps'. Originally I created these to function as pearl settings. I had also a great big pile of unusued clasps and sprues leftover from castings. I began building different shapes, allowing these unsung treasures to inform my designs. Quickly I realised by pairing together a silver cap with a wonky clasp or sprue, I was able to create a series of tiny little marvellous mushrooms. I began 're-making' processes; soldering, carving, pickling and polishing. I used recycled silver wire to create new earring hooks. I found the caravan veranda made for a fantastic standing 'bench'.

The poetry is magnificent. Underappreciated and overlooked these little scraps of silver lay dormant in the far corners of my workspace. In becoming jewellery they fulfil their destiny. A family of magical mushrooms began growing in the shadows of my practice, long before I knew they were there."

- Ambrin