Silversmith Melita Kyle creates unisex jewellery in her garden studio at 36 Sinodun Road, Didcot (Site 246,) which is now proving particularly popular as much of her work is inspired by nature. The natural world all around her provides Melita with an endless bounty of textures that can be used in her designs.

One of her most striking designs is a silver leaf that can be worn on a heavy sterling silver snake chain. It is the leaf of a Japanese Anenome plant that grows in her garden.

She says that by pinching out a leaf from the stem of the plant and building up layers of wet clay paste on the leaf, she is then able to fire it. Once in the kiln the actual leaf is burnt away leaving behind an incredible imprint of high detail of the leaf itself.

From this she can create a silver image of the leaf, deliberately leaving a white silver matt on its surface, and a smooth surface on the back which sits against the skin when worn.

The effect is simply stunning. Melita is now working with a variety of colourful gemstones too, using different mediums such as copper and bronze to enhance the effect of tone and shadow on her pieces.

Melita’s most recent work is on show on May 15, 16 and 20.