Edwin Charmain
a London-based jewellery designer and multi-award-winning maker specialising in the intricate disciplines of filigree and wire manipulation.
Raised in Pekalongan, Central Java—a city renowned for its rich batik tradition—he grew up surrounded by pattern systems, symbolic motifs, and ornamental structures. This early exposure shaped his understanding of form, geometry, and the storytelling potential of decorative language, laying the foundation for a practice that bridges cultural heritage and contemporary jewellery design.
Charmain's work explores the relationship between memory, symbolism, and material. Drawing inspiration from Indonesian cultural traditions, natural forms, architectural geometry, and personal reflection, he creates heirloom jewellery that carries narrative beyond adornment.
Rather than reproducing historical motifs, he studies their structure, evolution, and meaning before reinterpreting them through contemporary filigree and hand-forged metalwork.
Collections such as The Garden of Recollection, Wrap in Meaning and Flower Universe exemplify this approach, translating cultural references and personal stories into sculptural, wearable forms.
Charmain studied at Central Saint Martins, where he earned an MA in Design: Jewellery, and holds a BA in Visual Communication Design from Pelita Harapan University. Drawing on a background that spans graphic design, textiles, and jewellery, he approaches making as both a technical and conceptual practice. Through the meticulous process of drawing, twisting, and shaping fine wire, he transforms metal into structures that balance delicacy with resilience.
His work has received recognition from the Goldsmiths’ Craft & Design Council, including Silver in Ready-to-Wear and Bronze in Wire Innovation. He is also a Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Gold and Silver Wyre Drawers. His jewellery has been exhibited internationally, including at the London Design Festival, Munich Jewellery Week, and New York Jewellery Week, and he was selected for the Goldsmiths’ Centre Shine 2025 programme.
Working from his London studio, Charmain also collaborates with master filigree artisans in Indonesia, helping to preserve and evolve traditional craft knowledge across regions and generations. This ongoing dialogue between contemporary studio practice and inherited craftsmanship reflects his belief that meaningful jewellery emerges through the intersection of culture, material, and making.
Through exhibitions, collaborations, and public engagement, his practice continues to contribute to wider conversations around craft, identity, and cultural heritage.
Awards & Nominations
2023 - The Worshipful Company of Gold and Silver Wyre Drawer | GSWD | Freeman.
2023 - GC&DC x GSWD | Wire Innovation | Bronze Awardee.
2022 - GC&DC x The NAJ & BATF | Ready to Wear | Silver Awardee.
2021 - Arts Council England | Round 8: DYCP | Grants Recipient.
2020 - Arts Council England | Exceptional Promise | Endorsee.
2019 - ZLR Betriebsimperium | ZLR Jewellery Award | Nominee.
2019 - GC&DC x GSWD | Wire Innovation | Contender.
2018 - LVMH | MAISON/0 Sustainable Intelligence Design | Nominee.
Press & Publications
2025 - Weaving Threads of Memory| Rae Gellel, 15 October 2025, Goldsmiths' Centre. | Web.
2025 - New Earrings: 500+ Contemporary Jewellery Design| Nicolas Estrada, HOAKI. | Print.
2024 - Jewellery Of Heirloom | The Public Book. | Web.
2023 - Treasures Of Gold and Silver Wire | The Worshipful Company of Gold and Silver Wyre Drawers. | Print.
2022 - Contemporary Filigree | Filipa Oliveira. | Print.
2019 - La Republica | Ispirazione Batik. | Print.
2019 - Jewellery Focus | Spring Is In The Air | E-Magazine.
2019 - Fashion Crossover | Graduate Designer: Edwin Charmain | Web.
2018 - Gasholder | LDF: Take The King's Cross Routes. | Print.
2018 - Benchpeg | The Creative Union exhibition. | Web.
2018 - London Design Festival | Creative Union | Web.
2018 - Jeroboams | HEATH Spring 2018 | Print.
2017 - Huawei Technology | Project Fragments | Runner-Up.
2017 - Vanity Fair on Jewellery | School of Rocks | Print & Web.
Exhibitions & Fairs
2025 - Goldsmiths' Centre | SHINE 2025 | Goldsmiths' Centre, London, England.
2025 - Crafts Council x Goldsmiths' Company | 100 Rings Exhibit | Sommerset House, London, England.
2024 - Goldsmiths' Company | Goldsmiths' Fair 2024 | London, England.
2024 - FORGE: June Showcase | Girl with a Pearl Earring | London, England.
2024 - Crafts Council x Goldsmiths' Company | 100 Brooches Exhibit | Sommerset House, London, England.
2023 - GSWD | Treasure of Gold and Silver Wires | London, England.
2023 - Goldsmiths' Company | Goldsmiths' Fair 2023 | London, England.
2023 - Lethaby Gallery | Design Transforms 2023 | London, England.
2023 - Scottish Gallery | Contemporary Filigree | Edinburgh, Scotland.
2022 - Goldsmiths' Company | GC&DC 2022 | Goldsmiths' Crafts & Design Council.
2021 - UK ACJ | 2021 Open | Association for Contemporary Jewellery.
2020 - Katharina Kraus | Near & Elsewhere | NYC Jewellery Week.
2020 - Schmukgalerie Silbermann | Where I Draw The Line | Munich Jewellery Week.
2019 - Artistar Jewel | Milano Jewellery week 2019 | Milan.
2019 - Wanted Design | Wanted Design 2019 | Industry City, Brooklyn.
2019 - AUTOR | AUTOR Fair 2019 | National Teater, Bucharest.
2019 - Organisation In Design | Ventura Future 2019 | BASE Milano.
2019 - Schmukgalerie Silbermann | IN FLUX | Munich Jewellery Week.
2019 - Goldsmiths' Centre | Getting Started 2019 | Getting Started.
2018 - Central Saint Martins | Creative Unions | London Design Festival.
2018 - Central Saint Martins | CSM Emerge | The Degree Show Two.