Claire Underwood has been a jeweller and silversmith for over 25 years. Her designs employ clean, elegant shapes, formed from matt silver or 18ct gold, with contrasting moments of rich colour and texture. Underwood’s interest in jewellery was awakened by childhood travels to Africa where she encountered the adornment and colourful beadwork of the Maasai people. She translated these impressions into brightly patterned enamel through her studies at Loughborough College of Art and Design, the Royal College of Art, and at Cockpit Arts, where she set up her first workshop. Over the past 20 years, as a diplomatic spouse, Underwood has lived in Russia, America, India and Thailand. These places have provided inspiration for her work, the designs evolving with each new country. She has captured the rich textures and colours from objects collected on these travels into designs embellished with bright enamel, colourful glass beads and, lately, precious gemstone beads.