Collection: About us, hallmarking & all the back office stuff!

I'm Mizz Cat owner & Director of Mizzicats. Based in Cleveleys, Lancashire Mizzicats is now 20 mins walk away from the beach & I'm loving seaside life

I love the beach and have been collecting fossils, pebbles & shells all of my life. I find great amusement in the weird and wonderful world around me and being an ex nurse I'm surrounded by both darkness and light. As a descendent of the Pendle Witches I also have a love of folklore and nature. I try to live a 'good' life, try to be kind and I'm an enabling sort of person. I'm a firm believer in providing support & encouragement and I don't engage in one-upmanship ever. The items in my shop are honest & true designed to evoke faith, hope & trust in yourself like all talismans.

Each piece I make evolves, alters with the changing light of the day and is made with love and good intentions. I use a combination of traditional metalsmithing, die pressing very small pebbles (thanks Gemina Ltd for my new obsession), wire wrapping and silk cord knotting for my semi precious & precious gemstones. 

I'm registered with London Assays Office for hallmarking in accordance with UK law but the majority of my work falls under the limit for hallmarking (7.78 grams). Sometimes I will Hallmark underweight items especially high value items like my opals & fine gemstones. I continue to work on my Gemmology training due to my interest in gemstones & the value added to my wee business. I've also managed to set up all of my lapidary equipment & will be cutting some of my 10kg stock in the next few months.

My gemstones and rocks are all ethically & responsibly sourced. My gemstones are predominantly accompanied by well respected gem reports, natural & untreated. Occasionally, they will be treated but all treatments are disclosed and industry recognised - treatments do not affect the gemstone but can enhance them. Whilst this means that my gemstone items may be more expensive, it also means my items retain their value and may increase in value over time as an investment.