Meet the Maker: Sally Herbert of Herbert & Wilks Jewellery
In this interview series, we get to know the makers and artists whose beautiful work features in our gallery shop.
Sally Herbert of Herbert & Wilks Jewellery
Please introduce yourself:
My name is Sally Herbert — I am a contemporary jeweller based in Mt Eden, Auckland, working mainly in silver, gold, and bronze. I create small-batch and one-of-a-kind pieces under my studio name Herbert & Wilks Jewellery.
My practice draws on the landscapes and botanicals around me — from pōhutukawa leaves to flowing organic forms — and I shape them using wax, sand, and experimental textures.
Every piece is crafted by hand, so no two are ever quite the same. My aim is to make jewellery you can wear every day, but which also carries story, memory, and meaning.
What has been your journey as an artisan?
With a grandfather who had a wonderfully large workshop, I grew up fascinated by tools, machines, and the process of making. I came to jewellery in 2013, building on an earlier background in cast glass, where I used lost wax casting on a large scale.
Translating that love of process and material into wearable forms felt natural. Since then, Herbert & Wilks has become a way to explore craft and story side by side. I experiment with wax, texture, and casting to create pieces that are tactile and a little irregular.
My journey is one of curiosity and evolution, where every collection grows out of play, experimentation, and connection.
Can you tell us about the pieces you have in the gallery shop? How would you like them to make people feel?
At the Gallery Shop you’ll find a mix of pieces that show the breadth of my practice — from small sculptural works like bronze Vide Poche bowls to wearable jewellery, including textured rings, botanical-inspired earrings, and delicate charm necklaces.
Some are playful, others more refined, but all are crafted with the same attention to detail and love of material. I’d like people to feel an instant connection when they pick them up — a sense that the piece was made just for them.
My hope is that these works feel both timeless and personal, ready to become part of someone’s everyday story.
What inspires you?
Inspiration for me begins with the natural world — the volcanic textures of Mt Eden, the twisting vines of clematis, the sculptural shapes of flowers, and the strength of native trees.
I’m equally drawn to irregularities: the small imperfections that make something more beautiful and human. My earlier training in cast glass also informs how I think about form, transparency, and transformation.
Design influences such as Georg Jensen and mid-century makers inspire me with their honesty of form. But more than anything, I am inspired by connection: the way jewellery can hold memory, carry story, and become part of someone’s life journey.
Visit the Herbert & Wilks website
Visit our Gallery Shop to see Sally’s beautiful work alongside other that of other local artists and makers.
In the studio
Floral ring
Sandcast Ring – Flat Face in 9ct Gold
Herbert & Wilks Vide Poche Bowls