I studied in the Netherlands under master gold and silversmith Bert Slaman.

During my training friends asked me to make some replica jewellery of Viking age artefacts and I was immediately taken by the craftmanship of these items. Coming from a background in design and screenprinting, often featuring Celtic elements, it was a natural step to start incorporating the intricate details of the early historical artefacts into my own style of jewellery design.

Another influence that helped develop my own style was the work I did for a gallery that specialised in Native Canadian art and a charity that worked to help Native Americans in their political struggle. The easy flow of the lines used by some of the Native Canadian artists seemed to effortlesly meld with the traditional designs of the early Celtic designs and Viking artefacts of northwest Europe. Consequently I developed my own style which I refer to as Native European.

After my training at Bert's, my wife (a qualified classical guitar teacher & fiddler) and I moved to Co. Clare on the West Coast of Ireland. Famous for its traditional music, the Cliffs of Moher and the Burren, the area inspired me further, not only in my jewellery designs but also in develloping an eco-inspired and eco-friendly display for the jewellery.

In 2003 we moved to South West Scotland, where the surrounding hills and woodlands added some more food for my designs. Not long after our move I started up as Red Crow Silver.

As Red Crow Silver I produce jewellery of contemporary fashion designed in my own unique style. These distinguished designs can be tailormade to suit special occasions such as christenings or weddings; for instance a matching brooch and kiltpin for bride and groom. 

Erwin van 't Hoff