Mitsuro Hikime: The Ancient Japanese Wax Technique Behind My New Silver Collection
Over the last few years I have admired the patterns and textures that nature creates, whether it's in the bark of a tree, the veins on petals, or the way vines twist and change direction as they climb. I have spent a lot of time drying and testing different flowers and foliage for my jewellery, but some elements of the natural world resist being dried entirely, or are too delicate to encapsulate in glass.
That's what led me to working with wax and Mitsuro Hikime.
What is Mitsuro Hikime?
Mitsuro Hikime is an ancient Japanese wax technique, passed down through generations within its community. Until jewellers Elsa and Kumiko travelled to Japan to learn the original method, they had been recreate the recipe together, getting close but not quite right. After their trip they returned with a recipe that works, though it is so particular to temperature and conditions that it demands complete attention every time.
Mitsure Hikime wax, top left the original wax, bottom right pulled wax, middle potential pieces to be cast.
What Does it actually feel like to work with?
Working with Mitsuro Hikime is unlike anything I have tried before. The wax is pulled like toffee to create texture, and you have to work quickly before it loses temperature and sets into its final form. Sometimes it felt like I had hit gold and other times like I had lost the technique entirely, though I would usually realise it came down to temperature. I felt at my best when I allowed lots of time, breathing slowly as I pulled the wax, letting myself slow down and relax into it.
It's a practice that rewards patience and punishes rushing. I learnt that quickly.
The pieces I made
With nature in mind throughout, I created over 40 pieces during my sessions. Delicate vines that replicate the way they twist and change direction, leaves with ribbed texture, curling petals, all worked into rings, earrings and necklaces. I chose 20 of these pieces that I really wanted to see cast into sterling silver, to keep them in a solid and lasting form.
Every single piece is a one-off. Because of the nature of the technique and the casting process, no mould can be taken and no piece can be replicated. What exists is what exists.
These pieces are now on their way to becoming something else entirely and I can't wait to show you what happens next.
See the pieces in person
The new Mitsuro Hikime collection will be making its first public appearance at the Craft in Focus event at RHS Wisley this May bank holiday weekend. If you'd like to come along, there is a discount available when you book ahead, and RHS members can get in for free.