The Magpie Patina Collection.
We are pleased to introduce the launch of our latest collection of cufflinks, the Magpie Patina Collection. Featuring a deep and lustrous colour palette, the Bayley Amethyst purple, Teal blue, Sage green, Prussian blue and Quink black cufflinks are together inspired by the vibrant shades of a magpie’s feather.
The magpie not only thrives in London, but all over Europe. Intelligent and self-reflective, with vivacious colours running through its feathers, the magpie has given us the beautiful and confident tones of our new patina cufflinks. The result is a timeless jewellery collection with a contemporary aesthetic, developed using a traditional, artistic and experimental process.
The process is informed by ancient patina techniques, with each cufflink being individually and artistically finished with London based patina artist Derek Bayley. Combinations of metals and chemicals are oxidised through atmospheric exposure and layered to create the rich finishes of our pieces.
Each cufflink begins as a precision turned base which is prepared through sandblasting or cleaning with a fine abrasive. Each piece is then precisely heated with a blow torch and specific chemicals, including Titanium Oxide, Potassium Sulphide, Iron Nitrate, and Copper Nitrate, are mixed into each cufflink’s colour reaction recipe and expertly applied by hand.
A true combination of art and science, propane heat is added to the precise chemical recipes to achieve a visually complex and beautifully durable surface. Once our cufflinks are cooled, we apply multiple layers of micro-crystalline and carnuba wax to preserve the complex face, before buffing and polishing back the exposed brass areas to create a simple and engineered finish.
The nature of the patina process means that no two pairs of our Bayley cufflinks are ever the same, offering you a unique piece of jewellery that you can wear and enjoy for years to come, or gift to someone special.
You can browse our new collection of patina cufflinks here and follow us on Instagram @alicemadethis for more inspiration for wearing them your way.