Society of Heraldic Arts

a member of the Society of Heraldic Arts and a Freeman of the Goldsmiths' Company.

Hand engraving in various forms is Clare Street's speciality. This includes seal engraving, die-sinking, line engraving, carving and also grain setting of precious stones in jewellery.

Seal engraving is used on signet rings, cufflinks, fob and deskseals when the image is cut in negative relief and may be used to make an image in positive relief when stamped on wax. In seal engraving, especially of signet rings subject to hard surface wear, some of Clare's aims are a bit different to those of other seal engravers. She aims to cut a seal deeply, not just in the middle but also deeply right up to the sides and points of the design .

Cutting this way in gold or platinum seal rings and cufflinks allows long life and much wear.

The cost of a seal engraved ring varies widely according to the complexity of the engraving and the weight and type of ring blank. For a heavy 18ct ring seal engraved with crest and wreath, prices are from around Ł900.

Some of Clare Street's desk and fob seals, cufflink and ring seals. Her gold or platinum signet rings are either hand made to her own designs or best quality die-stamped to conventional shapes. She does not use cast rings.

For Corporations, institutions and places of learning when as well as cutting the seal a number of impressions are required, these can be produced either in conventional smoked wax or in a modern less fragile material .

18ct Line engraved cufflinks

Diesinking is similar work to seal engraving with the dies being cut in steel to allow medals or other objects to be stamped in precious or base metals. The set-up costs for stamping medals are high, however a reasonable cost per medal can result when quantities of 500 or more are required. For smaller numbers of medals, other methods of producing them may be considered.

Line engraving is a two dimensional representation as is drawing. It can be fun either cut boldly as on the brooch illustrated at the bottom of this page, or cut finely as may be required for heraldic subjects on cufflinks and tie studs.

8ct Tie Stud

Line engraved hallmarked silver plaques mounted on hardwood to stand or hang may be cut in sizes ranging from around 5 to 30 cm. diameter. The larger sizes together with functional silverware such as a plate, bowl or tray being a popular solution as a gift to a retiring company director or VIP.

Subjects commissioned may include the recipients heraldic achievement, his home and garden, yacht, or animal.

Carving in positive relief for precious metal jewellery may best be considered for tie studs, brooches and pieces not subject to the hard surface wear of seal rings and cufflinks. 1

Clare Street studied hand engraving and classical diamond setting at Sir John Cass School of Art, London. She has exhibited widely from the Design Centre and Mall Galleries, London to Minneapolis USA. and Goldsmiths' Fair, Goldsmiths' Hall, London, annually from 1983 to 2002. Recent Special exhibitions include "Celebration" in 2002 and "Love Story" in 2003 both at Goldsmiths' Hall. She is one of Britain's finest engravers and has won many awards in the annual competition held at Goldsmiths' Hall.

Desk Seals and Medal Dies

Medals are a piece of hand held sculpture. Producing medals by stamping them from a hand cut steel die gives the finest definition and this direct method allows for the greatest soul and spirit. The start up costs for producing medals are high, so when less than 500 are required, it may be better to consider seals.

18ct. seal ring engraved with clients heraldic badge and a pair of wax seals or impressions.

Most pieces are made to commission and with clients from Australia to the USA, delivery outside the United Kingdom is by International Registered Post to countries that will accept it and elsewhere by private courier.

18ct. yellow and white gold engraved brooch.

Clare Street's design was based upon her client's armorial badge of "two Swordfish addorsed Argent armed and tailed Or."