Creative Links: Redefining Luxury and the Rise of Alternative Metals
- Date
- 23 Feb 2026 · 6:00PM - 8:00PM
- Price
- Pay what you can: £7 or £10
- Venue
- Online (via Zoom), UK time
- Programme type
- Talks
How is the rising price of gold influencing the exploration of alternative metals in contemporary jewellery? How are jewellers pushing the boundaries of creativity and design through the use of alternative precious and non-precious alloys? What are the benefits of developing alternatives to gold? How do you communicate the value of this work to collectors and clients who perceive gold as the ultimate material?
Join our panel of jewellery designers Sara Chyan, Alice Fry, Ebba Goring, and Sia Taylor in-conversation, with author and journalist Rachael Taylor, as they explore the impact of rising gold prices on independent makers. They will consider how this has led to new possibilities in material and meaning through the choice of alternatives. From niobium and bismuth to bronze and beyond, find out how the jewellery landscape is being reshaped and discover how designers are redefining luxury through concept, form and process.
At the beginning of the event there will be the opportunity to network and talk to peers, and at the conclusion of the conversation the panellists will be pleased to answer your questions.
Image credit: Alice Fry, Polygon Brooch Blues and Purples © Alice Fry
FAQs:
The Goldsmiths’ Centre’s monthly Creative Links talks and networking events, designed for emerging makers and creative start-ups, provoke thoughts and questions which will enable you to reflect on where you are and how to get to where you want to be. Build your network, create links, learn to grow your business and become part of the community.
Details of our upcoming events and topics covered are listed in our What’s On. Every other month the event will be hosted online, should you not be able to attend an in-person event.
Our Creative Links series aims to link emerging makers with each other, whilst exploring key topics essential to nurturing business success. We run our events in person at the Goldsmiths’ Centre and across the UK with a range of partners, and every other month our events take place online, so that as many of our community as possible can exchange ideas, learn from industry experts, and form valuable connections.
We do not record or broadcast our events to encourage the open sharing of ideas and experiences. Popular topics will be repeated over time, so online and in-person participations can both engage in them.
We are committed to making our training programmes and events as inclusive and accessible as possible. If you have any access requirements, please inform us as early as possible and we will do our utmost to so we can make the reasonable adjustments. While we will do our best to accommodate your needs, advance notice is essential to ensure we can provide appropriate support.
To discuss your requirements when booking tickets for our Goldsmiths’ Centre training programmes, please contact us at boxoffice@goldsmiths-centre.org
Who are the speakers?
Sara Chyan is an award-winning jewellery designer, curator and educator whose practice bridges fine craft and high fashion. A Royal College of Art graduate, she founded her London studio in 2018 and has gained international recognition for minimalist, emotionally resonant pieces that balance sculptural precision with innovative use of materials.
Her work has been showcased on the official schedules of London, Paris, Copenhagen, Shanghai and New York Fashion Weeks, and at major jewellery platforms including New York, Shanghai, Romania, Estonia and Munich Jewellery Weeks. She has participated in over 190 exhibitions and pop-ups worldwide. Her designs have been featured in numerous international publications, including British Vogue, Vogue Italia, Crafts, Aesthetica, Frow and Pap, and worn by artists such as Halsey, Cara Delevingne, Nicki Minaj and Leigh-Anne, among many others.
Sara has participated in key programmes supporting design and entrepreneurship, including InnovationRCA’s Creative Brand Accelerator, start-up funding from The Prince’s Trust, and the UK Crafts Council’s Crafting Business programme. In 2022, she was one of only two British artisans sponsored by the Crafts Council to exhibit at Maison & Objet, Paris, a rare opportunity that reflects her innovation and standing in contemporary jewellery. She lectures at the Royal College of Art, mentors start-ups through InnovationRCA, directs Blackdot Gallery, and collaborates with designers including Christiana Hadjipapa, Clara Pinto, Robert Wun, r.l.e and Syzygy.
Alice Fry is an award-winning silversmith and jeweller who hand sculpts metal into geology-inspired forms from her workshop at The Sculpture Lounge in Holmfirth, Yorkshire.
She encapsulates the natural beauty of crystals, rocks and mineral specimens using the ancient silversmithing technique: ‘chasing and repoussé’. Alice specialises in working with the metal niobium and is one of the only makers in the UK using this refractory metal. This enables her to add vibrant and iridescent colours to her pieces through the technique of anodising.
Alice has exhibited in New York at the international show MAD About Jewelry, as well as London Craft Week and The Scottish Gallery. Alice exhibits at the world-renowned Goldsmiths’ Fair, London.
Rachael Taylor is a regular contributor to a wealth of titles across the globe (including The Financial Times, Marie Claire, Katerina Perez, Retail Jeweller) and is editor-in-chief of Rapaport Magazine. She is a sought-after speaker, a judge at prestigious jewellery competitions, including the UK Jewellery Awards, and is an ambassador of The Goldsmiths’ Craft & Design Council. Rachael is the author of several books on jewellery and watches, which are published worldwide in multiple languages.