Dust Studio an independent design brand specialising in contemporary, slow-made jewellery with a focus on polymer clay.

Founded by artist and maker Ishbel Mackenzie, and based in Glasgow, Scotland, Dust Studio provides carefully designed, wearable objects that are made by hand.

Dust Studio pieces reflect a simple, sculptural aesthetic alongside a playfully bold use of colour. The lightweight nature of the clay makes for fun, tactile styles that are a joy to wear. Each piece is handcrafted with love and care, using hypoallergenic findings to create comfortable, effortless jewellery.

All jewellery is made to order and each piece is unique. Colours are carefully mixed in small batches to create the specific colour palettes I work with. I find immense joy in the pliability of the clay, which has formed my process: instead of using cutters or moulds each piece is sculpted by hand, so each pair of earrings are uniquely individual.

The name for Dust Studio is of course directly inspired by Dust from Phillip Pulman’s His Dark Materials and The Book of Dust series. In the books, Dust is the name given for elementary particles that are associated with human consciousness. Throughout the story, the main character, Lyra, realises that Dust is everything that is best about humanity; it represents love, kindness, and curiosity.

Dust is passed from humans to objects if enough care and attention are imparted in their making. I like to think the love and care I put into hand making my work is imparting each object with Dust, hence the name for my brand.

“The street below her was saturated in Dust. Human lives were generating it, being sustained and enriched by it; it made everything glow as if it was touched by gold. She could almost see it. It brought with it a mood that she hadn’t felt for so long that it was unfamiliar, and she welcomed it almost apprehensively: it was a quiet conviction, underlying every circumstance, that all was well and that the world was her true home, as if there were great secret powers that would see her safe.” ― Philip Pullman, The Secret Commonwealth.