Jo Hayes Ward

jewellery

About

Jo Hayes Ward celebrates shape and form, harnessing the power of light to dazzling effect in her fine jewellery collections created in solid 18ct gold.

Jo is fastidious about detail, positioning each block and facet meticulously so that light catches the many delicate elements dramatically and shadows form; her jewellery comes to life - that is the magic of her wearable sculpture. Jo’s designs are described as metamorphic; the aesthetic hints at geological form, with multiple intricate elements combining to create each composition. This lends her work an architectural but also organic feel.

Jo is passionate about her jewellery working hard. Her unique, timeless aesthetic means that her designs are versatile enough to be dressed up or down, whatever your style.

Since launching the business in 2006 Jo has developed eleven main JHW collections, which all her designs fall into. She also takes bespoke commissions, customises and repurposes jewellery into new pieces in her aesthetic.

  • Jo hayes Ward stacking rings
  • Jo hayes Ward Geocut aquamarine necklace
  • Jo hyaes Ward commitment rings
  • Jo hayes Ward Statement ring
  • Jo Hayes Ward gem set stacking rings
“It feels like a huge privilege to be part of people’s stories. I love the challenge of creating timeless, hardworking jewellery that withstands trends, and be worn and adored for generations to come.”

Jo Hayes Ward

Process

Working out how she can harness light dramatically, to show off the multiple golden facets, slices, angles and textures is key to Jo’s practice and she adores the process.

She begins by taking a certain shape, be it triangle, square, hex etc, and mulls it over in her mind, sketching it on paper to see how that might work as a 3D form. She explores design possibilities through CAD until she has settled on a robust design with wow factor. Next comes 3D wax printing, before hand finishing, casting in gold, and finally more hand finishing. Jo is fastidious about detail. Even down to the gentle textures and markings on each facet that add depth. Jo works on each piece of jewellery individually, but goes on to use the nugget of an idea, pulling it in different ways to create each collection.

Jo is a firm believer in only using the highest quality, sustainable materials. She works in 18ct solid recycled or Fair trade gold.

Services

  • commissions

Maker stories