Forging a Future: Blythe Jolley Ellis' Journey from the Foundation Programme to E. Wolfe & Co
For many aspiring young jewellers, finding the right path into the trade can be a challenge. The Goldsmiths' Centre’s Jewellery Foundation Programme offers a vital stepping stone, introducing students to traditional craft skills and helping them discover where their passions lie. Blythe Jolley Ellis is one such student who turned burgeoning creativity into a career. After discovering jewellery making during lockdown, she applied for the Foundation Programme and quickly realised this was the industry for her. Now an apprentice diamond mounter at fine jewellers E. Wolfe & Co, Blythe is honing her craft in one of London’s historic family-run Hatton Garden workshops, alongside former Foundation Programme trainee and Goldsmiths’ Company apprentice Alexander Wood.
Her dedication and skill have already earned her recognition, with multiple Goldsmiths’ Craft & Design Council (GC&DC) awards to her name. She was the recipient in 2025 of both the Theo Fennell Apprentice & Master Award and the Junior Award for her Art Deco Lapel Pins & Brooch, with judges praising the exceptional craftsmanship of her mounting work. The Theo Fennell Apprentice & Master Award, presented by Theo Fennell himself, also honoured the guidance of her industry employer, Victoria Cornelius-Nori.
Earlier this year, we spoke to Blythe about her journey so far - how the Foundation Programme shaped her skills, the challenges of transitioning into an apprenticeship, and her ambitions for the future.
Taking the First Step: How the Foundation Programme Sparked a Journey
I'm Blythe Jolley Ellis, a diamond mounting apprentice at E. Wolfe & Company.
I've always loved making things from a young age, but it was during the first COVID lockdown that I started teaching myself a bit of jewellery making at home. Then I came across the Foundation Programme on Instagram, applied, got a place, and realised I wanted to continue in the field. That led me to an apprenticeship in diamond mounting - so here I am now.
“The Foundation Programme introduces you to different areas of the trade, letting you explore what suits you best. There’s diamond mounting, silversmithing, chasing, enamelling, engraving, wax carving - lots of different specialisms to try. I loved the whole experience.”
Being in a small class meant getting plenty of attention, and the tutors were amazing - always supportive and ready to help. My Diamond Mounting tutor, Steve Jinks, was a huge influence. When I first joined, I wasn’t completely sure diamond mounting was for me, but over time, I realised it was, and he helped me reach that decision.
Discovering a Passion for Diamond Mounting
I think I was drawn to diamond mounting because of the level of detail involved. There's so much effort that goes into creating such small, intricate pieces. Initially, I was planning to go to university and study business, but after doing the course, I decided to pursue this path instead.
One of my favourite projects was the last mounting piece we made - a flower brooch. We drilled out settings for the stones and made a brooch pin, and I found it really interesting to understand how everything fit together. I also enjoyed enamelling, particularly an enamelled box we made in silversmithing. We did quite a lot of engraving with the enamelling too, which I really liked.
Looking back, I remember how, in the first week, we were just cutting out basic shapes, and by the end of the year, we were making full pieces of jewellery. Seeing how much my skills developed over that time was really rewarding. I've always been a creative person, but realising that I could turn that creativity into a career made me want to see where it could take me. Apparently, when I was younger, I used to say I wanted to be a maker - I was always making things, whether it was sewing, crocheting, knitting, or drawing. Jewellery felt like a natural step up from all of that.
Before the course, when I was teaching myself, I didn’t really know what I was doing. The programme introduced me to the right tools and techniques, like how to saw without tangling the blade, how to break down complex pieces into manageable steps, and how to approach problem-solving. For example, when I was making the flower brooch, I was rushing and ended up melting an important soldered join. I had to figure out how to fix it, which taught me to slow down and not skip steps.
From Student to Apprentice: Working at Wolfe & Co
The transition from being a student to an apprentice was quite an adjustment. The biggest challenge was realising that the work I was doing was for real customers. It’s a lot more intense -on the course, things were more relaxed, but in an apprenticeship, you’re handling precious metals and stones, so you don’t want to waste or lose anything.
A piece of advice from my tutor that stuck with me was about using a saw frame - he always said to treat it like a file rather than just a saw, using the side of the frame rather than just cutting straight. That small tip made a big difference.
Right now, I’m working on a tortoise brooch, which has a moving head and a large citrine in the middle. It’s probably the biggest and most complex piece I’ve worked on so far. I’ve been doing most of it myself, though Alex, who sits next to me, has been helping and guiding me along the way. There’s no strict deadline, but I started it before Christmas, so it’s taken quite a while. The feet and head are wax-carved, so once they’re cast, it’ll be a matter of assembling everything and soldering it together. Hopefully, it’ll be finished in the next few weeks.
I do have a small bench at home for my own work, though it doesn’t have everything I need. Sometimes, I work on things during lunch breaks, but at weekends, I usually prefer to relax. The work at E. Wolfe & Co. is very traditional, which I really like, and I’d want to keep that handmade, traditional approach in my own work too. I’ve already worked on some incredible pieces here and learned so much from them.
Looking Ahead
As part of the apprenticeship, I’ll eventually have to create a masterpiece. I’ve thought about it a bit - last year’s apprentice made a tiara, but I’m not sure what I’d want to do yet.
Looking ahead, my plan is to finish my four year apprenticeship. Eventually, I might like to start my own business, but that feels like a big step, so for now, I just want to learn as much as I can while I’m young and build my skills.
What I love most about this industry is the process of creating something from scratch. You start with a piece of metal, shape and assemble different parts, and then suddenly, you have a finished piece. It’s amazing to step back and think, "Wow, I made that," and knowing that someone will appreciate it for many years to come makes it even better.
For anyone thinking of getting into this industry, I’d say just go for it. Apply for the Foundation Programme -once you start, you’ll love it. It’s such a creative field, and if you enjoy making things, it’s a great path to follow.