Tanya started making jewellery when she was thirteen. At that time she was making regular trips to London with her mother, buying beads, making jewellery and selling it to friends, teachers and her mother’s work colleagues.

After finishing her One Year Foundation Course at the North Essex School of Art, she attended Middlesex University to study a degree in jewellery on the very experimental course with tutors including Caroline Broadhead, Pierre Degen and Julia Mannheim. “Being on such a contemporary course meant that we were encouraged to make ’body art’ from materials such as paper, plastic and steel. The idea was to design jewellery which broke down the barriers of traditional jewellery.”

Whilst at University, Tanya went on an exchange in Düsseldorf, Germany, under the tutelage of Elizabeth Holder, and also had work experience with an exclusive jeweller in Johannesburg, South Africa. Both these experiences showed her the value of good design as well as the beauty in precise craftsmanship. “When I left art school, I decided that I wanted to design and make jewellery that was well made, completely wearable and affordable, but that incorporated everything I had been taught at both college and in the workplace.”

After obtaining her BA (hons) in jewellery, Tanya set up her own studio but mainly worked for others initially. Whilst starting to design her own more commercial work, Tanya wanted to experience other jewellers’ workshops, techniques and routines. These experiences helped her find her own path and in 1997 she launched her first collection.

Tanya’s tlk collection is strong, contemporary yet stylish. Her inspiration comes from her many travels as well as her surroundings, which are constantly changing as she matures. These include machinery, trees & architecture. “I’m really interested in the man-made geometric nature of machinery and architecture existing along side nature’s own organic symmetry. I hope this shows in pieces where I have mixed gold and silver. I want the thin delicate strip of hammered gold to outshine the chunky silver ring it is wrapped around.”

Other inspirations include; watches, films, chocolate, socialising, reading, blue skies, sunsets, music, family, romance, glitz and glamour.