Yu Lan attended colleges in both Rochester and Londons Metropolitan University and achieved her MA. During her studies she won several Goldsmiths Awards for both Design and Finished Pieces.
In her home country Taiwan, she won the “Best Contemporary Jeweller”. In 2007 was named winner of Best Emerging Designer in Platinum and 2008 won The British Jewellery Association Best Design for a stunning 18ct Gold Cuff Bangle.
Yu Lan continued to both design and make her own design and through Yulan Jewellery Ltd supplied over 100 shops and galleries around throughout the UK and Ireland. In 2018 shemoved to a purpose built workshop in nearby Hadleigh, Benfleet. This enabled Yu Lan to exhibit at Craft In Focus events and to start to express her more creative side.
Her jewellery is made from Anodised Aluminium and Silver and uses the off cuts to up-cycle into artwork collages that have taken on a life of their own over the last few years! A quote used for a magazine article sums these up nicely;
“Inspired by the cockle fishing fleet of my home town of Leigh on Sea, creating these collages brings me immense pleasure. It is wonderful to use recycled jewellery, anodised aluminium and a variety of silvers, from our own workshop. The eclectic mix of materials ensure that each creation is truly unique and is as individual as our jewellery strives to be”
Burkmar Jewellery collections will feature two main techniques.
1: White Cooking
The silver used in our jewellery is Britannia Silver which is 95.8% pure as opposed to Sterling Silver which is only 92.5%. We use this as its increased purity helps us attain the “white” colour that is very much part of its design. The whiteness itself is achieved from this silver by a process known as “White Cooking”. This involves annealing the metal which will raise to the surface the fine silver content. Then, after cooling, it is cleaned in a high concentrate sulphuric acid that, when repeated several times, creates its matt, unspoilt white effect.
2: Anodised Aluminium
The aluminium is “pre-anodised” which means it has been treated with an electrical current to break the surface enabling paints or dyes to be stained onto the metal. This Yu Lan does by painting or printing by hand, sealing the colours permanently by boiling the sheets in water. The jewellery itself is cut and formed by hand from the small sheets prepared.
Thanks for reading!
Love, Yu Lan x
