Melanie Hamlet

Melanie Hamlet is a jewellery designer and maker born in Leicester. After completing her BA in Jewellery and Silversmithing at the School of Jewellery in Birmingham, Melanie set up her workshop, Kokkino (‘Red’ in Greek) in 2003. Over the years, Melanie has worked to develop her own trademark style, utilising beautiful rich metal colours and textures, from the rich luxuriousness of silver blending to gold, to the bright pop of enamels and formica. 

Melanie strives to produce beautifully-made simple, elegant and contemporary pieces which are easily wearable today and will remain so for years to come. Many pieces feature tactile and mobile elements, the jewellery being transformed and given life and dynamism by the wearer.

Melanie loves to experiment with new ideas and work in a very practical hands-on way with the materials, developing ideas by looking at the subtle delicate colours of precious metals by using unusual gold-plating techniques, oxidisation, vitreous enamelling and adding precious stones. The sensitive use of surface textures with a simplicity of form keeps the design sophisticated and unfussy.

Melanie strives to create beautiful timeless pieces with a modern twist, using considered design and exquisite craftsmanship. Melanie’s work has been exhibited in many prestigious exhibitions in the UK and abroad, including Goldsmiths’ Fair and most recently, at the Museum of Art and Design in New York.