About me

Ash Hilton grew up on the West Coast of the South Island where rugged beaches, windswept coastal forest and dense bush-covered mountains dominate. His jewellery, with its pared down etchings of native plants and beach-combed treasures trapped in resin, is inspired by this unique and remote landscape.

I kind of fell into jewellery-making, but the relationship between creativity and construction it offers instantly clicked. The way in which the tools, materials, process and design affect each other has driven me since I began in 2003. I try to reflect both the human and natural environment in my work by using symbols and materials that have meaning to me and represent where I come from. From street signs to native trees, my jewellery has always been a pretty literal representation of my surroundings. Now that I'm able to make jewellery from West Coast gold my jewellery is literally made from my surroundings.

Not only does this suit the theme of my jewellery, but it has the added benefit of having a really low impact on the environment, a theme I try to incorporate into my everyday life. To round out this process, I'm now recycling workshop scraps and turning old jewellery into new pieces.

The Workshop