about rachel dorris

In the summer of 2005, Rachel Dorris set up her own company designing and hand crafting contemporary silver jewellery.

Rachel Dorris’ main body of work is her Vessel jewellery collection. Vessel incorporates smooth hollow silver forms placed to represent a range of natural objects such as shells and tiny leaves on twigs. Increasing the scale of the work, Rachel uses the forms to encase crushed gems, representing enticing rock geodes. On occasion, Rachel also manipulates the silver elements closed to represent a more man-made, vessel-like, structure.

To celebrate her return to work after a stretch on maternity leave, Rachel has developed a new body of work entitled Tulip. Tulip uses two hollow silver vessels intertwined to represent the pleasing shape of a tulip flower.

Prior to working in this field, Rachel worked as a Medical Physicist for the NHS for nine years. During this time, she spent 4 years attending jewellery design and silversmithing evening classes at Morley College, London. In 2005, she decided to take the plunge and pursue a full-time career in jewellery design.

Based a studio in Clerkenwell since May 2005, Rachel Dorris has initiated her new career by undertaking work experience with two eminent jewellery designers, Amanda Doughty and Catherine Mannheim; working as a freelance jewellery designer for the fair-trade jewellery company, Silverchilli; and by developing her own range of jewellery for retail and wholesale.