These words from the poem ‘Maple and Sumach’ by C Day Lewis inspired me to make a autumnal necklace of ruby, rich 22 ct gold and deep pink spinel. As a child I used to be fascinated by the sumach tree we had in our garden. The colours of its leaves in the autumn were second to none, and it had furry flowers! I remember lying underneath it to see the the sun shine through its vibrant red, pink and orange colours like a stained glass window. The glowing leaves are hand sawn from a sheet of gold using a blade which is less than a millimetre thick. They are shaped and polished before the stems are soldered on and threaded alongside ruby and spinel beads and panels of granulated gold.
