Melanie's enthusiasm for the history of jewellery, both design and manufacture, motivates her work. Experience of living, studying and working in a variety of cultural contexts; Bermuda, Canada, UK and most recently Afghanistan lends versatility to her approach. From her studio/workshop based in Hatton Garden, London she creates sculptural jewellery using geometry as a tool to explore the relationship of form to the body, combining traditional approaches with new applications. She holds an MA Design: Jewellery from Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design.

Melanie often takes part in projects relating to her field: research, writing, teaching and exhibition installation are examples. In autumn 2010 she undertook a two-month applied arts creative residency, supported by the British Council, at Turquoise Mountain’s Institute for Afghan Arts and Architecture in Kabul, Afghanistan.

She is a member of The Association for Contemporary Jewellery, where she acted as Assistant Editor of their newsletter for over 3 years, a licentiate (with distinction) of The Society of Designer Craftsman and is involved in The Society of Jewellery Historians having previously served as Reviews Editor on the Editorial Board for Jewellery History Today, The Society’s magazine. Since 2007 she has been doing work for The Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths’ spending four years in their Library structuring and cross-referencing archival material. She now coordinates training and professional development programmes for the Goldsmiths' Institute, the training and educational arm of the Goldsmiths’ Centre; a new charity established by the Goldsmiths’ Company to advance and develop art, craft, design and artisan skills in particular, but not exclusively, for goldsmiths. She is currently working on Hothouse - a creative and professional development programme for emerging silversmiths and jewellers that the Goldsmiths' Institute is delivering in collaboration with the Crafts Council.