About STEPHEN ROPER
It’s no surprise that Stephen Roper became a skilled craftsperson and jewellery designer. He grew up amidst the creative bustle of London’s Camden Lock market, where his Mother had a stall. This upbringing created an independently minded and dreamy child, entranced by art and nature. He may have grown up since then but his passion for crafts still remains.
In 1987, Stephen graduated with a degree in History and Anthropology, but while at University he was busy opening a craft shop in order to fund his endeavours. Since graduating, Stephen has taught himself traditional jewellery making techniques, learning through experimentation and from many different manuals, he continually scours book stores for.
Since 2002, Stephen has been renovating a derelict gem in Margate’s Georgian Old Town into what is now his 'Old Town Gallery', situated next to the Turner Contemporary public art gallery opening in 2011.
Fascinated by the past and with nature, Stephen finds working with silver and creating unique, handmade jewellery, the perfect means of expressing his passions. He loves the spontaneity of a design emerging through working each piece, the close attention to detail this requires, and the various skills employed during long stints at his bench.
Every piece of handmade sterling silver jewellery Stephen creates bears the individual marks of its making - a tactility that makes his work so unique. Stephen begins with a 2mm sheet which he then sets to work using a rolling mill to thin, a saw, hammer, file, then a sand, and polish, spending hours on each item to get it just right.
Independently minded and self taught, Stephen allows himself the freedom to create, taking his own unique approach. He mostly loves employing a heat process called reticulation, which Art Nouveau Russian jewellers, who devised the technique, called “born by itself“ or “Samorodok” silver. With this technique, Stephen is able to create fascinating textures and every piece is so refreshingly individual.