The Master Goldsmith, Richard Talman, has 30 years of experience in the metalwork and jewellery industry. His expertise is seen in BBC’s The Repair Shop, but also to the many off-screen customers at his handmade bespoke jewellery store RTFJ in East Sussex.
Entertainment Now chats with Richard to find out more about his journey into metalwork, and his affordable new jewellery brand, Emilice.
How did you first get into metalwork?
Basically, my late father taught me basic metalwork as a kid. That was our father-son bonding, he taught me what he knew.
By the time I was 8 or 9, I was doing metal soldering in the garage, just doing little bits. It was that passion for metalwork, coupled with a lifelong obsession with rocks, minerals and gemstones.
By about the age of 12, it had already become quite clear. I love metalwork, and I love gemstones. That’s how I got into a lot of jewellery.
You represented the UK at the 36th World Skills competition in Seoul. Can you tell us how this came about and what this experience was like?
When I was serving my apprenticeship via the Goldsmiths’ Company, they kept me updated on all the competitions and things that were about. So, in order to get to the World Skills competition, I had to do a UK competition.
The year previous year, in the year 2000, I did what was called the UK Fine Jewellery competition and won it.
Then I went out with the team for the World Skills. At the time, the one that I was representing was in Seoul, South Korea. It’s nicknamed the Skill Olympics because it’s very similar to the Olympic Games. But instead of doing high jump and cycling, you’re doing bricklaying, jewellery, piling, plastering.
I was up against all of the technical top jewellers of that time in the world in that age category (up to the age limit of 23). It was an incredible experience.
You’ve been awarded a number of different awards as well. Is there any particular one that you’re kind of especially proud of?
I felt that one of the ones that I was most proud of, obviously other than the initial World Skills one, was the Wedding Industry Awards in 2014.
I was the National winner of that. That meant a lot to me at the time, because that’s what I was focusing on.
Can you tell us more about how RTFJ was founded in 2010?
I’ll backtrack a little. I started my apprenticeship in London. Having done a year at college when I was, I worked there for a very well-regarded Goldsmith, by the name of David Laws.
I worked for him for 14 years and then, unfortunately, the recession of 2008, 2009 hit in London and we were all very reluctantly put on short time.
Whilst I was on that short time (I’d work a few days in London and then have days off in Sussex), I started RCFJ from my garden shed.
I had to find money, me and my wife just got engaged and we had a mortgage.
I had the tools, and I converted my rickety garden shed into a little workshop. Then I went down to jewellers in the local area, just asking if anyone wanted any, we call it jobbing in the trade, repairs, ring sizing, that sort of thing.
A lovely jeweller based in East Grinstead trusted me and I became his official jeweller. We moved from that workshop to a slightly bigger one.
Then I moved to my current location now. The RTFJ stands for my name, Richard Thurman and fine jewellery. We’ve come a long way.
You also appear on BBC’s The Repair Shop. How did you first find out about this opportunity?
It was the craziest. I got a call and I can remember exactly where I was and exactly when it was.
It was in September, on a Friday night. It was about half past six, and I’d just got home from work and a voice message came on my phone. I missed a call and then a voicemail, and my wife mentioned I had this missed call. So I put it on speaker and this voice just said that we’re calling on behalf of a BBC production company and they’d be interested if I could get back to them with regards to potentially joining them on a BBC television show.
I thought it might have been a prank call from my late father, so I actually went to delete the message. But I called the number back and, sure enough, it was real.
They had found me through my website and they had a Victorian garment bracelet that they needed repairing for Series 3.
I just came along and did my first fix with them in September 2017.
Do you have a favourite piece that you’ve worked on for The Repair Shop?
It has got to be the most unlikely one and that is a stainless-steel ring.
The ring was made by a German prisoner of war who was also a goldsmith. When he was over here as a prisoner of war, he was with a family on Christmas Day. To thank the hosts for Christmas Day, he took one of their pieces of cutlery from the drawer and made a signet ring out of it.
The signet ring was so beautifully made out of steel, which is a much harder metal to work with than what I’m used to.
I had to repair it using a spoon from our repair shop canteen. The reason it’s my favourite is I was totally out of my comfort zone, and that’s where I like being. It was also an absolutely wonderful story.
Do you have any plans for 2024?
I believe I’m going to be called back for Series 10, they’ve shown an interest in having me back. I’ve done about 25 episodes, and I would love to be part of The Repair Shop for as long as it is ever done.
I have just launched a new jewellery range myself, which is called Emilice. This is the conjunction of my two daughters’ names, Emily and Alice.
Usually, it is quite a lot of money to have a piece of fully bespoke jewellery out of platinum, diamonds and gold. So we’ve launched a range, which is more affordable, that people can use for gifting solutions, for example.
That’s something I’m concentrating on quite heavily for 2024, in addition to our own collections at RTFJ. We’re also broadening our horizons with different ranges out of fully bespoke, to be able to meet people’s needs.
