Hundreds of handmade jewellery pieces have been stolen from a Bangalow artists’ collective, leaving some members without any work to sell ahead of the crucial Christmas trading period.
Hammer & Hand’s gallery in the Lumber Yard on Station Street was broken into on Saturday, October 31, according to collective member Cristina Sharratt.
Cash was also taken, but Cristina said the loss of collections built over months and years was particularly devastating for the group’s 10 local metalsmiths.
‘All our pieces are completely hand made by us and are very distinctive,’ she said.
‘We hope that whoever took our precious collections has realised they will be very hard to sell without being recognised as ours.’
Cristina said several other businesses in the precinct had been broken into or targeted in attempted break-ins that night.
She said footage from local businesses’ cameras had been passed to police, and the Lumber Yard’s owners were looking to further upgrade cameras around the precinct.
Hammer & Hand has operated in the Northern Rivers for 18 years, including 12 in Byron’s industrial estate and six in Bangalow.
The collective’s artists include Bruce Pringle, Rosie, Jen Banks, Julian de Sax, Rachel Horsfall, Linda Young, Cristina Sharratt, Jed, Zoe Ace, Meg, and Louise Shaw.
Cristina said the one-off jewellery could be readily traced to its makers, making resale difficult. Solder in the metal would also complicate melting it down for sale as raw material, she said.
Its members are sole traders who share rent and expenses and each work one day a week in the gallery.
‘For some of the members, Hammer & Hand is their only source of income,’ Cristina said.
‘Christmas sales help tide us over the quieter months and now some members have nothing left to sell.’
The collective is appealing for the jewellery’s return and has established a GoFundMe recovery campaign to help replenish stock and improve security.
‘We ask that they please return our work; leave in a safe place and let someone know where they are,’ Cristina said.
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