I've been a maker all my life, and I did a course with the Silversmiths Guild of Canterbury and was hooked.
I love starting with silver wire and making a chain - each link individually shaped and soldered. Or starting with an interesting stone, imagining it as a ring or pendant, making the piece, soldering the parts together, setting the stone, polishing - the piece is finished. Recently, I have been working with Argentium Sterling Silver, an alloy that is hypoallergenic, bright white, tarnish-resist and a dream to work with. If you can't wear sterling silver because you react to the copper in it, give this a try.
I love the idea that a piece I make can be a gift for a loved one, an indulgence for yourself, something you hand on to your children - something treasured that holds special meaning for you.