The nails used here were handmade several hundred years ago before mechanisation, & come from mudlarking finds along the River Thames. They were used for boat building & for housing, although most of the nails I use come from an area that used to be used for ship breaking - who knows where these nails have been & what they've seen -the nail in this brooch has lost it's head at some point in it's past! The shape they are & their patina is how they're found, & I forge & form the silver to fit around the nail, then handstitch the two together with silk threads. Brooches can be commissioned in a variety of shapes & colours if prefered.
The nail in the brooch pictured measures approx. 5.5cm & the oxidised silver is approx. 6 x 3cm at it's widest point, with a stainless steel brooch pin. UK postage is included.