Forty years at the bench

Peter’s bench is the one by the window, with hammer handles worn smooth and a jar of offcuts he refuses to throw away. He has been making jewellery for forty years and teaching for nearly twenty.

How did you start?

“By accident. I was repairing watches and someone asked if I could resize a ring. I made a mess of it, went to an evening class to learn how to do it properly, and never really stopped.”

Setting a stone at the jewellery bench

What do beginners get wrong?

“They rush the filing. Soldering is the exciting part, so everyone wants to get there, but a good join starts with two ends that meet perfectly. Ten more minutes with a file saves an hour later.”

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Silver is patient. It will let you fix almost anything if you slow down.

Peter Lund, Silversmith

What has changed?

“The tools are better and the lamps are brighter. People are different too. Twenty years ago my students wanted a hobby. Now a lot of them want a break from screens, something they can hold at the end of the day.”

And what never changes?

Hammering a texture into silver

“The moment someone puts on a ring they made themselves. Every single time, they go quiet for a second. I still look forward to that.”