My name is Steve Erhardt, I hand make all of the jewellery and other items I sell under the brand "Ben and Cocoa" I have been making jewellery for around 16 years ( since 2006). I have learned the art and craft of jewellery making through a mix of training and years of practice and discovery. When you buy from Ben and Cocoa you are supporting a small business and a family. You are investing in a piece of jewellery that is lovingly made using high quality materials which are responsibly sourced. All of our Gold and Silver is recyled. These materials are then made into beautify pieces using traditional artisnal skills rather than mass produced by machine. Below you'll find a bit more about me and about "Ben and Cocoa"

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"Why am I a maker and a jeweller"?

Probably because of my dad. When I was younger, what ever we wanted or needed he made it. My brother wanted a speedboat so he made one, we used it to water-ski for years. The same with a go kart. I wanted a "ram pack" for my ZX81 my dad made one. I was fascinated by the process of learning the skills to accomplish something. With jewellery my wonderful wife wanted a fingerprint necklace when our son was born in 2006 so I wondered how they were made and then found out and made one. Then made more and was hooked Then I learned how to solder on cufflink settings and gradually built up my skills. Now I love the fire, the hammering, the sawing, the shaping, the transformation from raw metal to something delicate and beautiful.

Jewellery making is my main passion but its not the only craft I enjoy, I also love working with leather, wood turning, warm glass and more. You can see many of these things here and can watch me make on youtube at youtube.com/steveerhardt there are even tutorials on there if you want to have a go yourself. 

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"Where does the name "Ben and Cocoa" come from?"

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Ben and Cocoa are our Dog and Cat. Ben is a cross between a Shi Tzu and a Pomeranian and is a delight. He loves nothing more than long walks with the family or a nice long lie in bed. Cocoa is a Rag Doll and is full of character, her passion is inventing new ways to wake us up at 6 am for her breakfast, you can see pictures of them below. 

 

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