iapetus was founded in 2005 as a haven for all things handmade. We started out as a little gallery in Great Malvern and grew to two large stores and a fancy website stocking amazing work from over 150 British and International artists.
After nearly 20 years, at the beginning of 2024 we made the difficult decision to close our doors to start new journeys. However, life has a way of throwing curveballs which means our decision has had to change. Read on to find out more...
A sad but worthy reason to continue
Carol James, the talented maker behind Silverfish Designs jewellery, very sadly lost her battle with cancer earlier this year. Carol left the business to Anna, her sister and iapetus founder.
We lost Carol unexpectedly in the midst of closing iapetus gallery. Our plans were to close the business entirely, including iapetus.co.uk, so we could focus on our future endeavours. However, the thoughtful gift of Silverfish Designs has meant we had to reevaluate how we move forward with both businesses.
Why iapetus.co.uk is the new home of Silverfish jewellery
Carol predominately sold her diverse collection of jewellery at local markets and events, something we don’t have the time to do ourselves. Carol also sold a little of her work at silverfishdesigns.co.uk. However the website only displayed a limited selection of the collections and has a small customer list.
So, after much soul searching and planning we decided the most sensible way to continue bringing Carol’s work to the world was to host Silverfish Designs here at iapetus.co.uk.
Carol’s wonderful work has always been a big part of our jewellery collection. Her work stood proudly and deservedly alongside our other talented jewellers’ work. Continuing to sell Silverfish Designs jewellery at iapetus.co.uk fits perfectly with our near two decades ethos of promoting the very best of British handmade crafts.
We hope this redesigned iapetus.co.uk truly shines a light on Carol’s amazing work and brings it both to the people who loved her and her jewellery, and to a whole new audience.
You may have a few questions
How can I sign up to find out more?
If you already receive our emails you’ll be the first to know when the Silverfish Designs collections are ready to purchase. If you’d like to be added just enter your email in the sign up box at the bottom of this website.
Will there be any other artists work on iapetus.co.uk?
At present we have no plans to offer any further work beyond that of Silverfish Designs. We may well offer Anna’s own work over time (she’s also a highly talented maker).
Can I order anything that is on iapetus.co.uk now?
Yes, anything that is showing here today can be ordered as normal. Please note that we are now fulfilling orders in between our new lives so delivery timings may be a little longer than you may have experienced before.
I was a Silverfish Designs customer. Will you add me to your mailing list?
Due to data protection regulations (GDPR) we cannot transfer email addresses from Silverfish Designs to iapetus. If you want to be kept in touch enter your email in the sign up box at the bottom of this website.
Will there be new designs for Silverfish?
The simple answer is no. We have Carol’s original moulds for her cast pieces and, as pieces sell we may choose to replace them using the same techniques Carol used.
Who will make Silverfish Designs jewellery?
At present almost all the jewellery we have was made by Carol herself. Some pieces may have been finished by Anna or myself - like pendants being added to chains, earrings on to hooks etc.
We have some of Carol's most popular pieces that are unfinished (not polished, drilled, connected etc) which we will be working with one of our most trusted jewellers, Fi Mehra, to complete following Carol’s techniques.
Will you relaunch the iapetus karma loyalty club?
Our aim is to keep things simple so, at present there are no plans to relaunch the iapetus loyalty card.
Are my old iapetus vouchers and credit still valid?
We are no longer accepting any previous vouchers or credit earned or purchased before July 2024. When advertising our closure we stated clear expiry of those and can no longer accept them going forward.
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Carrying on Carol's legacy at iapetus.co.uk
Silverfish at iapetus.co.ukAt iapetus, we are very proud to take on the responsibility to carry on the Silverfish Designs jewellery collection. If you’d like to know more why iapetus is the new home of Silverfish Designs click here...
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Read our interview with Carol
Read Carol's interviewA few years back we interviewed Carol as part of our Meet the Maker series. Her answers give a real incite into her as a maker and a person.