inSilver – Jeweller at work at folkestone harbour

Aimi McKeown is a jeweller with over 25 years’ experience.  Her business ‘inSilver’ is based at Folkestone Harbour Marketplace where you can watch her at work.  Her hut is her shop on one side, and her work place on the other.  You can see just how long it takes to make each item, and understand the skill and craft that goes into making silver jewellery.  Folkelife went to meet Aimi in her hut.

“I have been a silversmith for over 25 years, but with various breaks for having children as one does.  I think it’s really important for customers, and visitors, to see jewellery being made.  There’s a thought that you can  buy anything you need and have it delivered in 24 hours.  Even though I have signs up all around saying ‘handmade jewellery’, I still tell people and they’re amazed.  It’s also good to show that it takes a lot longer than 24 hours to make rings, earrings and so on. 

“I’m from Leicestershire and that’s a pretty landlocked place.  I came down to see some friends who live here and just fell in love with Folkestone, with the sandy beach in particular!  My children were of an age where relocating was quite straightforward.  So, I applied to the Creative Quarter for a flat in January, was accepted pretty quickly.  I wound up my business in Leicestershire and moved down here by April.  The hut was up and running as my workplace by the first May Bank Holiday.”

always learning

“I did my first course when I was 18 and one of the things about this job is that you are continually learning new skills.  When the children were young I retrained as a teaching assistant but the chaos of the day job meant I really needed to make in the evenings to recover.  I reduced my hours in that job and then took the plunge 10 years ago to focus on this as my business.  We celebrated 10 years with prosecco and cake in the hut here.”

inspired by the sea

“I work here every day and so have experienced all the weather can throw this way.  It’s inspiring, if a little chilly in winter!  I can pop to the beach for photo-shoots of my jewellery.  And I find that there’s inspiration there in the shapes of the sand, shells and starfish.  I make cast bangles which means I create a shape in a mould and pour molten silver into that mould.  My seaweed bangles are really organic in their style – each one is different. 

“I love making things with stones set in them and am currently doing a course which includes making this necklace.  It’s my Harbour Necklace with an anchor, and the toggle is a piece of driftwood, and there will be an aquamarine drop at the end.”

work in action

“I think people appreciate what goes into each piece of jewellery when they can see things being made.  It would be great to run workshops here as when people have a go, they can also see that it’s not that easy!  I used to run beginners workshops, and wedding ring workshops for people to make their own, and I would love to do that again. 

“It’s great being here at the Harbour Marketplace as there’s a lovely community feel around here.  The traders and the Harbour management and facilities people are very friendly.  Everyone is very welcoming and it’s a lovely place to work.  I love meeting my customers and seeing the delight in their faces when they find the right piece of jewellery for them.  And I love, also, seeing them return for their next piece too – that’s always a wonderful feeling.”

The Folkestone Harbour Festive Marketplace runs every Friday from 4pm to 8pm, Saturdays and Sundays from 11am to 6pm and on Monday 23rd from 11am to 6pm, and Christmas Eve from 11am to 4pm.  The Marketplace will then open again in March 2025 for the spring and summer.

All photos taken by @mooiefeephotography