Heidi Carthew is a jeweller and metalsmith who lives and works from her home studio in Cornwall. Growing up in a home where creative play was encouraged, Heidi fell in love with the arts from an early age. Focussing initially on two-dimensional mediums such as graphite drawing and watercolour painting, she immersed herself in the jewellery and metalsmithing industry when she felt the need for people to interact with her work physically.

During an apprenticeship with Koa Jewellery, Heidi was introduced to pewter. It was whilst studying for her degree that she realised her talents working with this material, going on to win Best in Show and first place in the decorative arts category at Pewter Live in 2017.  Working with pewter, jesmonite, and silver in new ways, Heidi elevates and refines materials that are often seen as less precious, creating beautiful and enthralling homeware and jewellery. In doing this, she aims to push boundaries and encourage conversations.

The ‘Afina Collection’, meaning ‘adorn’ in Cornish, is inspired by the simplicity of Scandinavian design and the Cornish coastline. Heidi finds beauty in the angular cliffs that contrast with the curves of rocks and pebbles adorning the shoreline. In creating this collection, she has sought to reflect the contrasting elements of the coast in her pieces.

Working in pewter, silver, and jesmonite, Heidi has developed a collection of geometric homeware and contemporary jewellery. She uses traditional silversmithing techniques such as scoring, folding, and soldering. She then pairs the silver tones of metals with hand-coloured and intriguing cast jesmonite elements. The deep blues and greens of the sea, and the monochromes of Cornish granite and slate, all feature heavily. Heidi handmakes all the moulds for the casting process;  it is through this labour of love that she pushes the boundaries of the materials, refining them to create beautiful and precious pieces.