Copper
The first metal worked at the forge. Warm to the touch and naturally antimicrobial — it inhibits the growth of bacteria on contact.
StighamEnquiryStinger's Forge · Ballarat
Forged
From
Hardship
Fine jewellery and solid rings by Still & Bigham. Hand-forged at Stinger's Forge, Ballarat.
Copper·Silver·Steel·Brass·Gold
The First Signet
Silver shaped by hand in Ballarat.
The Mark
The Serpent
and the Spear
Our mark is a serpent drawn in a single unbroken line, pierced through and holding fast. It carries the interlace traditions of Celtic and Norse metalwork — and the names of two makers, bound into one.
Still & Bigham
Two names. One mark.
One Line
Interlace without beginning or end.
One Forge
Made in Ballarat, Victoria.
The Piece
The First Signet
A round signet in 925 silver, hand-forged, engraved and oxidised. The emblem stands polished against a blackened face; the shoulders carry knotwork cut by hand.
925 Sterling Silver
Solid, hallmarked, worked at the anvil.
Hand-Engraved Interlace
Celtic and Norse-inspired knotwork, cut line by line.
Oxidised Finish
Blackened by hand; the patina deepens with wear.
The Forge
Stinger's Forge,
Ballarat
Gold built this town. We work in silver, in a shed with a hammer, an anvil and a fire.
The same tools. The same patience. Stinger's Forge makes fine jewellery and solid rings — and swords, knives, and all things blacksmith and silversmith. Every piece begins as bar stock and ends as something worth handing down.
01
Draw
The line is perfected before it meets metal.
02
Forge
Bar, annealed and shaped by hammer and heat.
03
Engrave
Each cut follows the mark, made by hand.
04
Oxidise
The surface is darkened, then selectively polished.
Metals We Use
Five Metals,
One Forge
Fine jewellery and solid rings, hand-forged from copper, silver, steel, brass and gold. Each piece is made to last — worked until it is worthy of being handed down.
Silver
925 sterling, hand-forged and hallmarked. Oxidised to a living patina that deepens with wear.
Steel
Tough and honest. The backbone of our blades and structural work — filed, hardened and finished by hand.
Brass
A golden cast without gold's price. Fitted and polished for fittings, accents and decorative work.
Gold
Worked to order, for the pieces meant to outlast the maker. Soldered, filed and set with silver's patience.
Material & Meaning
Worn In,
Never Worn Out
Knotwork has no beginning and no end; neither does a piece made properly. Oxidised silver is not a coating but a surface that lives with you.
Unbroken Line
Continuous interlace binds the loyalty, endurance and the bond between maker and wearer.
Hammered Silver
Forged, worn and alive — its surface changes. The making is not hidden; it is the ornament.
Made in Ballarat
Small-batch work from Stinger's Forge, shaped by a town that understands metal and hardship.
“It brightens where you touch it and darkens where you don't. That is the record of a piece worn honestly.”
STIGHAM · Maker's Note
Enquiry
Make an Enquiry
Each piece is made to order, sized to your hand and worked under your direction. Send an enquiry and we will talk through the metal, the mark and the making.