Lisa Ridout is a Toronto-based artist and a graduate of the George Brown College Jewellery Art & Design program in 1992. Lisa dedicates herself to producing innovative handcrafted precious metal chain work.
"The jewellery I design and make by hand is a derivative of the way I see everything in life to be connected. For me, this interest of "connectedness" started very young. I learned how to knit at a very early age and I have always made things with my hands".
The traditional skill of chain making is a delicate and time-consuming craft. The chain is entirely handmade by drawing silver into wire form of varied thicknesses, then turning and weaving rings into delicate patterns. Drawing on historical patterns, as well as new combinations of her own creation, Lisa blends her love of stones and crystals into her sterling silver pieces.
"Movement, flow, structure, tension, shape, colour and texture are all facets of one’s life," says Lisa. "I choose to express those feelings together in a piece of jewellery that is worn while living one’s life and experiencing the journey. Hopefully, my jewellery serves as a marker in your lifetime. When and how you received it, who gave it to you and why that particular design ended up as yours, is again, all about how your world is connected. The links and connections woven through my chain jewellery reflect my ongoing design process. As in the fabric of life, each idea, concept and relationship leads naturally into the next."
Currently, some of Lisa’s preferred charities are:
- Daily Bread Food Bank
- Dovercourt Boys and Girls Club
- Field Hockey Canada
- Habitat For Humanity
- Mount Sinai Hospital
- TVO (TV Ontario)
- World Wildlife Fund
- Toronto Symphony Orchestra
How to Care for Your Silver Jewellery
Each original piece of Lisa Ridout Exclusive Jewellery is handmade using sterling silver and sometimes gold and semi-precious stones, or Swarovski crystals. As such, your silver jewellery requires occasional attention to keep it looking beautiful.
Both the sterling only pieces and the sterling and bead pieces require the same care.
Please keep the jewellery in a ziploc baggy or the box they arrived in to reduce oxidation of the silver. Or, if you have a jewellery bag made out of velvet or a soft cloth, all the better. Sterling silver naturally oxidizes over time when exposed to air. As well, when placed on the skin, the body’s natural chemical composition will patina it as well. Depending on a person’s chemical make-up, some people patina it faster than others. And, depending on how often you wear the piece will also influence how often one needs to clean it.
The best way to clean is to take some ordinary baking soda, an old toothbrush (or just use your hands, it’s less messy than the toothbrush method, although you can employ the toothbrush to get into small or difficult areas) and wet the item and toothbrush in tepid water. Then take a handful of baking soda and liberally coat the silver and beads to make a wet paste (it helps if your hands are wet as well). Take the toothbrush and scrub the jewellery, making sure you get between all the rings and beads. This gets out the dirt and grease that naturally collects on and around the rings. Then rinse thoroughly with more tepid water and if some baking soda is still present, scrub with wet toothbrush and wash under tap until all baking soda has been cleared. Or, if desired (or piece is quite dirty), repeat with baking soda again and then rinse.
Leave to air dry on old soft towel, or hand dry by pressing jewellery together in towel. Then take a polishing cloth and rub item with the cloth. Again, make sure you rub thoroughly, taking a section at a time until you’ve worked from one end to the other. This is a good thing to do while watching TV!
Good quality sterling silver jewellery can always look beautiful, if you take care of it, and it will bring you a lifetime of enjoyment.
