About
Hey There! I’m Dr Sarah McAleer - Children's Jewellery Historian
Let Me Introduce Myself…
I’ve been a goldsmith for the past 32+ years, a lecturer and mentor to other artists and makers for 27+ years and a jewellery historian for 21+ years.
You’re here because you share my love of history, jewellery history…and children’s jewellery history!
Children's Jewellery - my specialist subject - has been interwoven into my life and works throughout the past THREE decades - Wow! Sometimes that’s a bit scary to think about!
Sarah McAleer Jewellerysmith
Jeweller & Goldsmith
I’m better known as an artist jeweller and goldsmith and have been running a highly successful practice for over 32+ years now!!!
Throughout the years I’ve made everything from truly challenging exhibition work, through to commercial production lines and collections.
But I’m renowned for my high-end bespoke client commission pieces and for turning old jewellery into new heirlooms.
I have literally made thousands of amazing pieces of jewellery over the years and built a world-wide client base that spans 5 generations of females and their families!
Sarah McAleer Mentorsmith
Lecturer & Mentor
Alongside my career as a goldsmith and historian, I have always been some form of lecturer, teacher and mentor to other artists and makers.
Traditionally this was within colleges and universities where I've taught art and jewellery skills, as well as jewellery history and research skills at foundation, degree, Ma and PhD Level.
Today I currently mentor hundreds of artists and makers 'online'. I specialise in helping them make money from their 'art' and teach them how to grow their business offline and online!
Children's Jewellery History
Where It Began
A Passion For Art, Business & History
My passion for jewellery, history…and the past…is something that has ALWAYS been within me.
I grew up in a household where my father - a well respected businessman - loved collecting as well as all things history, and my mother was head of a secondary art department.
I also grew up with my grandparents who lived with us - both highly creative people who had run their own successful business together as a couple during a time when ‘women’ were supposed to be chained to a stove bringing up ‘weans’.
So the A, B, H’s have always been a part of my life - thats Art, Business and History - and it’s no surprise that I do ALL three - being a goldsmith, business women and historian!
Where My PhD Idea Came From
3 Decades Of Research
My intrigue into 'Children’s Jewellery History' began in the early 90’s when I needed a subject to base my Ba(Hons) dissertation on.
A friend of mine was designing a ‘kids menu’ for one of his university assignments and when I asked him why he chose kids as a theme, he immediately said ‘kids are always forgotten about’. And a light bulb went off in my head and I wondered if children were forgotten about in the jewellery world as well.
In fact apart from sweetie jewellery and plastic beads strung onto elastic I couldn’t think of any other examples.
And so that 3000 word essay grew to an extended 10,000 word degree dissertation and at that point I had traced the subject of 'Children’s Jewellery History' back to the 12th century.
Where It Grew
A PhD By Thesis
In the late 90's I went to Royal College Of Art in London - initially to do a 2 year practical MA in goldsmithing and jewellery - or so I thought, ha ha!
I did the first year of my MA and happened to mention my interest in children’s jewellery and everyones ears pricked up. And so I restarted my research into children’s jewellery history and transferred in my 2nd year onto an MPhil research degree and then traded up to PhD level.
In fact I ended up staying at Royal College Of Art for 7 years in total (part-time). It's here that I completed my 140,000 PhD thesis which documented the chronological development of Children's Jewellery in Europe back to pre-historic times.
Current Book Projects
Projects 1, 2 & 3
Books In Progress
Follow along as I work on my THREE book projects.
The first is that thanks to going viral on social media talking about my PhD thesis - I'm now working on getting a version of that out for publication.
The second and third book projects I'm working on revolve around two themes - Prehistoric Children's Jewellery and Amuletic Children's Jewellery.
Keep up to date with whats going on by joining me!