Santa's Lap: Jewellery Made From Thames Jetsam

M@
By M@ Last edited 159 months ago
Santa's Lap: Jewellery Made From Thames Jetsam

Every day until Christmas the Londonist team will be pointing you in the direction of a Christmas present that (with a bit of luck) you won’t already have on your list. Climb up onto our collective lap and we’ll see what we can move from our sack to your stockings…

Wander along the Thames foreshore for any time and you're sure to come across fragments of clay pipe. These disposable items were the main means by which Londoners enjoyed their tobacco until the invention of cigarettes. Between the 16th and 19th centuries millions were discarded, often into the Thames. They remain there to this day and are often scavenged by beachcombers looking for a tiny piece of history to take home.

Amelia Parker has taken the mudlarking one stage further and crafted a line of jewellery from retrieved pipes. Now, you can wear necklaces, chokers, bracelets and earrings assembled from the discarded remains of a Georgian fag break. Prices start at just £15 for the earrings, and items can be ordered here.

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If you'd like to try before you buy, or meet the industrious craftsperson behind the jewellery, head to the Museum Of London Docklands tomorrow evening between 6 and 8.45pm to find the stall at the museum's Christmas fair.

Browse previous Santa’s Lap entries for inspiration and check out Christmas Markets and Fairs around town for festive shopping opportunities.

Last Updated 08 December 2010