Tony Thomson

Tony Thomson developed a passion for precious stones after chancing to see them being polished
in a small backstreet gem shop; they have lost none of their power to attract and inspire.
The shapes and colours of the stones are his starting point;
he lets them dictate just how the design will go.

And when someone as eminent a sculptor as Elizabeth Frink has enough confidence
in your work to sponsor your first exhibition, you know you must have something good.

The work of jewellery designer Tony Thomson caught her eye and thanks to her enthusiasm,
Tony was able to purchase the precious metals needed to put an exhibition together,
shown alongside pieces by Frink, at the Thames Gallery, Eton.

He begins any piece by selecting the stones, which can be a semi-precious jewel,
piece of slate, fossil, an opal, diamond or even a piece of coloured glass
which has been thrown up onto a beach.

“The cutting process is exciting too. You never quite know what you will find
when you cut something like a fossil.”

Tony’s work uses many traditional silver and gold working techniques
including cuttlefish casting, fabrication, stone cutting, setting and casting.

Tony Thomson’s working day is spent in his workshop in Oxford
surrounded by cutting equipment, tools and a rolling mill.
The only things that sparkle are his creations, because sunlight distracts and distorts
the creative process. “It’s always quite a surprise to go upstairs at the end of the day
to find the sun is shining.”