‘…..complex in construction, exquisitely made and showing superb craftsmanship….’

Jerwood Award Winner 2007

Drawing underpins Susan’s creative practice; the relationship between drawing and making is evident in the finished pieces. Silver wire is oxidised black and manipulated into fluid linear forms, emulating a drawn graphite or inky line; sheet is embossed with textural marks echoing the warp and weft of fabric. Constructed textiles provide the primary source of inspiration both in terms of borrowed techniques and the range of visual references.

Inspiration also derives from plant forms and growth structures, drawn directly from living plants and from references in the herbarium archive at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.

Recent work explores the use of pearls and semi-precious beads, integrated into a metalwork matrix; these elements seek to add colour, texture and a focus for the eye. The symbolic meaning of stones in jewellery has an ancient pedigree and historically such pieces became amulets of much personal, aesthetic and social significance. The inherent colours and textures of these natural materials serve to communicate points of transition, while the inclusion of stones embodies their symbolic status and illuminates their individual beauty.

Semi-transparency, complex linear construction, textured surfaces and multiple layers embellished with intricate details are the salient characteristics of Susan Cross’s jewellery.

‘As a jeweller I aim to explore the sensuality of the body through the tactility of materials.’

Susan Cross
July 2025