Draw and cut
Each piece starts as a sketch. We cut the shapes from brass sheet by hand or on the laser cutter in the studio.
Gallery of Fine Things · Greyton
Brass jewellery &
other fine things
Rings, cuffs and lucky bells, cut and hammered by hand in our studio next door and shown beside the work of makers we know.
Open daily from 9am
18 DS Botha StreetBrass, Copper, Silver, Lucky bells, Botanicals, Ilala, Timber, Ceramics, Vintage finds
18 DS Botha StreetThe shop has a white wall, a tin roof and a shaded stoep.
Over the doorLook for the green Old Coach Road sign.
The door is openStep inside.
Inside
The Gallery of Fine Things
Our latest pieces sit beside work by local makers: botanicals in glass, prints, ceramics, timber, weaving and cloth. The Atelier, where we make the brass, is next door.
See what is on the shelves01What we sell
Our own work and the work of our makers
We make the brass jewellery and bells in the Atelier next door. The rest of the gallery shows work by local and Southern African makers.
02Sacred Lotus · Limited series
From bud to full bloom
We cut, shape and set every petal by hand. The lotus comes in three stages, from a closed bud to full bloom, and we make only a few of each.
The Sacred Lotus series03The Atelier
Made by hand, right next door
Our studio is beside the gallery. You are welcome to come in and see what we are working on.
Swipe to see howKeep scrolling
Hammer
Hammering gives brass its texture and its strength. Every mark is made by hand, so no two cuffs or plates are quite the same.
Tinker
Bells, loops and petals are soldered on one at a time. This step takes the longest.
Finish and tag
We file, polish and tag each piece with our stamp before it goes onto the shelf next door.
Custom work, repairs and laser cutting
Custom jewellery
A ring in your size, a bangle with your initials, a piece in silver instead of brass. Tell us what you have in mind and we will tell you what is possible.
Small repairs
A broken clasp, a snapped chain, an earring that has lost its hook. Bring it in and we will look at it.
Laser cutting
We cut and engrave wood, card and acrylic on our laser cutter: signs, tags, displays and small runs for local businesses.
04On the shelves
Our latest pieces
Old Coach Road
Hammered Brass Bangle
Old Coach Road
Hammered Brass Plate
05Greyton
On the old road in from Genadendal
The road from the mission at Genadendal crossed the hill before Greyton existed. It entered the village where Main Road meets DS Botha Street, the street our shop is on.
Read the story1738
A mission in the valley
Georg Schmidt settles at Baviaanskloof, over the hill from where Greyton now stands. It becomes Genadendal, the oldest mission station in South Africa.
1790s
A bell heard in Stellenbosch
The mission buys an old ship’s bell. The story goes that its ringing could be heard in Stellenbosch, and it was silenced until 1798, when the congregation built the bell pillars that still stand.
1846
Weltevreden is sold
Herbert Vigne, an Englishman, buys the farm Weltevreden at the foot of the Riviersonderend mountains.
1854
A village of long plots
Vigne lays out a village of long, narrow plots with water rights, open to buyers of any background, and names it after Sir George Grey, Governor of the Cape.
1860
Where the old road came in
The first road into Greyton comes over the hill from Genadendal and enters the village at Main Road and DS Botha Street. A trading store opens at the junction.
Today
Oaks, furrows and a brass workshop
The leiwater furrows still run along the streets under the oaks. On DS Botha Street, where the old road came in, we cut and hammer brass.
06The metals
Warm metals with a long history
Why choose brass?
Five thousand years of adornment
Brass has been worn as jewellery for over 5,000 years, in Ancient India, the Middle East, Africa and Rome, valued for its gold-like colour. It is an alloy of copper and zinc, it does not rust, and it can be recycled again and again.
In metaphysical traditions, brass is thought of as a warm, grounding metal linked to vitality and confidence.
Why choose copper?
Worn for balance and wellbeing
Copper has been made into rings, cuffs and bangles for thousands of years in Ancient Egyptian, Ayurvedic and Traditional Chinese practice, worn to support balance and wellbeing.
Many people wear copper for comfort in their joints. In metaphysical traditions it is believed to help the flow of life force through the body.
Brass and copper darken with time and can leave a harmless green mark on skin. Lemon and salt brings back the shine.
How to care for brass
07Visit
Come and say hello
We are in the middle of Greyton on DS Botha Street, opposite the Oak & Vigne courtyard. We don't serve coffee ourselves, but you can get one at the café across the street, along with a juice from the apothecary or a glass of wine from the tasting room. Bring it over and sit on our porch in the shade.
Opening hours
- Monday9am to 5pm
- Tuesday9am to 5pm
- Wednesday9am to 5pm
- Thursday9am to 5pm
- Friday9am to 5pm
- Saturday9am to 4pm
- Sunday9am to 2pm
Open daily from 9am
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