Amersham Art Unlocked, 1st & 2nd November 

Round & About

Bespoke independent jeweller Alison Berthelsen tells us about the free Amersham Art Unlocked at Chilterns Lifestyle Centre  

For more than 20 years, Chesham Bois jeweller Alison Berthelsen has been creating pieces that tell personal stories. Working in both gold and silver, she designs unique pieces and often upcycles family heirlooms into jewellery that people truly want to wear. “It’s often a very emotional journey,” Alison explains. “It’s a real honour to create special things that hold such deep connections and memories.” 

Alison’s path to becoming a bespoke jeweller was anything but ordinary. Growing up in Harrow, Alison first carved out a career in London as a window dresser, stylist and eventually display manager at Liberty. It was a job filled with creativity and unexpected adventures – including the time she and a colleague decorated novelist Jilly Cooper’s home for a Christmas magazine feature (in early October, no less!). While at Liberty, Alison began experimenting with making silver jewellery. What started as a hobby soon grew into a profession, and she became hallmarked with the London Goldsmiths’ Assay Office in 2012. Since then, her workshop and website (alisonberthelsenjewellery.co.uk) have flourished, with sparkling rave reviews. 

But jewellery is only one half of Alison’s creative world. During lockdown, missing her beloved swims at Chesham Moor Pool, she picked up a paintbrush – and has barely put it down since. Now a watercolour artist, she has painted the pool and its surrounding landscape in every season, with her large winter pool scene proudly displayed at the venue. “Swimming and the Chilterns are my painting niche and make me happy,” she says. Her designs now appear on bone china mugs, glass coasters and even the pool’s swim hat. 

Alison exhibits her work each year during Bucks Art Weeks and shows at fairs across the region, including the Wendover Arts Festival and Amersham Art Unlocked. Locally, her jewellery and watercolours can also be found at A Little Bird Told Me Gallery in Wendover and the new Freya Jones Gallery in Buckingham. She also loves Darvells Bakers in Chesham (where her daughter works), The Good Earth Art Gallery, Orbit Press, The Tavern,& Niki Bells Art Studio in Chesham, and the Record Shop, Jacks Coffee and Seasons Deli in Amersham. 

Alison will once again help host Amersham Art Unlocked Art Fair at the Chiltern Lifestyle Centre. Alongside fellow artists Ali Mackie and Nathalie Pymm, she has nurtured the event into a high-quality annual showcase. This year, 28 talented local artists will take part, offering everything from ceramics and glass to textiles, printmaking and, of course, jewellery. A pop-up run by the much-loved Blooming Café will add to the friendly, community feel. “Supporting independent artists and businesses is at the heart of what we do,” Alison says. “We’re so lucky to have such talent on our doorstep, and this fair gives everyone a chance to enjoy it. ”