Bobby's work embodies hiraeth, a Welsh term describing the feeling of longing for something unattainable. Hiraeth weaves its way through her collection, traversing themes such as loss of national identity and a new connection to Welsh culture. Bobby found herself reunited with this place she once knew as home in the disused quarries where she foraged for materials native to Wales, such as slate and other discarded mining offcuts Bobby reassigns the narrative attached to these non-precious materials, infusing them with meaning and in the process claiming back her national pride.INTERPRETATIVE TEXT BY MATTHEW ANDERSON BA (HONS) CULTURE, CRITICISM AND CURATION.

Dorothea - Welsh Slate, Copper, Steel.What initially drew me to slate wasn’t just its history or symbolism—it was its resistance. At the beginning of this collection, I approached the material through design: sketching, testing, and prototyping. But each attempt to shape my designs into the stone led to fractures and breakages. I quickly learned that slate could not be forced—it would not bend entirely to my will. Instead, each piece dictated the form it wanted to take, and I had to adapt my designs in response to what the material offered. The Dorothea Brooch marked a turning point in this realisation- a quiet “Eureka.” I began designing not to impose upon the slate, but to listen to it. Rather than carve or embellish its surface, I focused on giving the stone a way to exist on the body, just as it was. I found myself drawn to pieces with striking colour variations—blotches, layers, and shifts that revealed their history. The more I looked, the more I understood; I had collected each piece not for what I could make of it, but for what it already was. My role was not to transform it, but to honour it.

Dorothea. 

Dinorwic - Welsh Slate. Like Dorothea, the slate I used for the Dinorwic Ring was beautiful enough alone without human interaction. In order to retain its beauty, I simply carved out a ring shank into the stone, to allow it to become an adornment for the body.

Dinorwic. 

image 1: A woman with her blowing in her face wearing a necklace made of slate and copper. 

Arianwen - Welsh Slate, Copper, Copper contaminated Silver Chain.By faceting the slate in two distinct ways, the piece invites a shift in perception—elevating the material from something once seen as commonplace to something precious. The treatment lends the stone a gemstone-like quality, commanding a sense of reverence and encouraging the wearer to handle it with care. Paired with copper fixtures and chain, the necklace subtly nods to its industrial roots, placing these raw, historical materials within a refined, contemporary context. Together, slate and copper speak not only of the past but of its transformation—of resilience reimagined as elegance.

Arianwen. 

Image 2: Product shots of the front and back of the necklace. 

Arianwen - Front and Back. 

A woman wearing a buckle around her waist, with her hand wearing the ring in shot. 

Mari and Emyr - Welsh Slate Inspired by the already natural beauty of the stone, I created a mini collection of 'prescribed hagstones'. Among all my works, the Prescribed Hagstone collection has been the most shaped by my own hand—yet it remains deeply guided by the slate itself. The spiral carvings are inspired by the stone’s natural layering and the colour variations formed by organic matter trapped during its sedimentary formation thousands of years ago. My aim was to enhance these innate qualities, elevating the slate to a fossil-like state in homage to its ancient origins. I titled the collection Prescribed Hagstones to confront and contain hiraeth—to create my own portals where none naturally existed. Traditionally seen as gateways to other worlds, hagstones carry a kind of quiet magic. By crafting my own, I enact a form of deliberate grounding—transforming longing into tangible form.

Mari and Emyr.

Eira Ring - This piece was a happy accident. Originally I planned to carve a simple signet ring, as the colour and patterns in the stone were beautiful on their own. However, while Carving the piece, an area in the shank broke off. Instead of discarding the ring and starting again, I realised an opportunity to elevate, and unionise the 2 industries I was interested in arose, And the Eira signet was born.

Eira. 

A woman wearing slate earrings, and 2 slate brooches. 

Pilot No.1 - Slate Hinge Brooch - Made from slate from both Dinorwic and Dorothea Quarry, The slate hinged brooch Encapsulates a union of 2 sites that were integral to Wales, and My own History. Pilot No.2 - Copper inlayed Baguette earrings.

Dorothea, Pilot No.1 + No.2

2 images of slate and copper rings being worn on a hand. 

Nia - Welsh Slate (Middle ring on right image) Another happy accident, while carving another slate signet ring, it split perfectly into 2 halves. One half, Nia, Remained thick and sturdy enough to be worn, Once again displaying slate in an alien state of preciousness. Carwyn - Welsh Slate and CopperThe second half of Nia, although retaining its form, lost its sturdiness as it was the thinner half that split. This Provided me with an opportunity to 'protect' the slate, by making a copper cage signet that Carwyn can be safely inserted into, and shielded whilst being worn.

Carwyn and Nia. 

a woman wearing the slate and copper bolo tie. 

Bolo Tie.Welsh Slate set with Copper and Welsh Wool Cord.

For Simon.

Product Shot of Front and back of Bolo Tie. 

In Memory of Stephanie West. 

HIRAETH.

This jewellery collection emerged from a deeply personal reflection on identity, longing, and belonging—a reflection shaped by my own background. At its heart is the Welsh concept of hiraeth, a word that resists direct translation but speaks profoundly to a kind of unattainable longing—a yearning for something lost, or perhaps never fully known. Though deeply rooted in Welsh culture, hiraeth is, in many ways, a universal emotion: a bittersweet ache for a connection to land, memory, and a sense of place.Working with Welsh slate as the central material allowed this project to become more than introspection as it holds both a geological and cultural weight. It is both a literal and metaphorical foundation—something grounded, enduring, and deeply embedded in the landscape and history of Wales. Collecting slate from the slag heaps of Dorothea and Dinorwic quarries became a quiet act of reconnection—with the land, with memory, and with hiraeth. Returning to these landscapes grounded the collection, forming both its emotional and material foundation.What initially drew me to slate wasn’t just its history or symbolism—it was its resistance. At the beginning of this collection, I approached the material through design: sketching, testing, and prototyping. But each attempt to shape my designs into the stone led to fractures and breakages. I quickly learned that slate could not be forced—it would not bend entirely to my will. Instead, each piece dictated the form it wanted to take, and I had to adapt my designs in response to what the material offered.In this way, the process came to mirror hiraeth—that yearning for something just out of reach. It became an act of accepting imperfection, of letting go of control, and of finding beauty in what remains.

Hiraeth in Full.

No.1 - For Simon - Welsh Slate, Copper with Welsh Wool cord Bolo Tie.No.2 - Lowri - Welsh Slate, Copper and Silver Earrings. No.3 - Arianwen - Welsh Slate, Copper and Copper contaminated Silver Chain Necklace.No.4 - Heledd - Welsh Slate and Copper Buttons. No.5 - Carwyn - Welsh Slate and Copper Cage Signet Ring. No.6 - Nia - Welsh Slate Signet Ring. No.7 - Eira - Welsh Slate and Copper Segment Signet Ring.No.8 - Elis - Welsh Slate with Welsh Wool Cord Necklace. No.9 - Emyr - Welsh Slate Ring.No.10 - Mari - Welsh Slate Buckle. No.11 - Dorothea - Welsh Slate, Copper and Steel Brooch. No.12 - Dinorwic - Welsh Slate Ring.

Hiraeth Named.

A slate Brooch and a Pair of Slate Earrings. 

No.1 - Slate Hinge Brooch - Showcasing Welsh Slate from both Dinorwic and Dorothea Quarries. No.2 - Copper inlayed Baguette cut Welsh Slate Earrings.

Pilot Collection.

A photo of quarrying machinery in a quarry.

The Slate I hand collected from Dorothea, and Dinorwic Quarries, North Wales.

My Hoard.

Bobby's work embodies hiraeth, a Welsh term describing the feeling of longing for something unattainable. Hiraeth weaves its way through her collection, traversing themes such as loss of national identity and a new connection to Welsh culture. Bobby found herself reunite...

Bobby Sweet

Final work

Research and process

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HIRAETH.