Parrish Relics on Designing Jewelry for One of the Biggest Exhibitions in British Museum History

By Karen Dybis | September 14, 2026

Jewelry designer Jen Parrish-Hill says she feels a bit like a rock star working with the British Museum and its super hit exhibition around the Bayeux Tapestry, which the art world has described as one of the most anticipated cultural moments of the year.

The Bayeux Tapestry went on view at the British Museum Sept. 10, and the 950-year-old embroidered linen cloth that is causing such a sensation among today’s generations will hang at the museum through July 2027.

England secured the loan of this famous textile from the Bayeux Museum in Normandy, and the public response has been overwhelming. People crashed the British Museum’s website for tickets; its first tranche sold out. They waited hours in line to admire it. As The New York Times put it, “the challenge of getting in [to see the tapestry] now currently approaches Birkin bag-level difficulty.” One media outlet said around 1 million visitors are expected to see it.

“It is definitely a highlight of my career to be a small part of something that seems to be a once-in-a-lifetime exhibition,” Parrish-Hill says.

bayeux collection — *The Bayeux Tapestry Collection is Parrish Relics’ fourth collaboration with the British Museum.*

So how did a sculptor from Worthington, Mass., end up working on jewelry for this stellar event? The founder of Parrish Relics says it is a mix of her history, a longtime relationship with the British Museum, and a lot of skill.

“This is my fourth collaboration with the British Museum. When I heard that they were going to be showing the Bayeux Tapestry, I contacted my connection there in July 2025 and started working with them on ideas at the beginning of the year,” Parrish-Hill says.

For her jewelry contribution, Parrish-Hill says she wanted her work to highlight the mythical creatures that help tell the story in the top and bottom margins of the panels—which many people consider one of the most delightful and whimsical parts of the tapestry. She consulted a on Bayeux book by Xavier Barral i Altet and David Bates, and did some initial sketches on the characters that stood out to her.

Parrish-Hill says animals have long been her inspiration—she started making sculptures of those she loved the best out of polymer clay when she was still in school. She attended Tufts University’s School of the Museum of Fine Arts, where she studied art history, gothic architecture, metalsmithing, and stained glass.

She initially made jewelry on the side, but it became her full-time job thanks to a sales rep who sold her work to film and television shows. Her work blew up when famous designer Patricia Field spotted a replica of Anne Boleyn’s “B” necklace and put it on the main character on the TV show Ugly Betty.

Jen Parrish Hill — *Designer Jen Parrish-Hill*

For the British Museum tapestry pieces, Parrish-Hill uses her skills in metal and glass. Add in her love for animals, and the resulting jewelry is just as delightful as one might expect. The Bayeux lion is playfully biting its tail. The bird seems to be singing its heart out with its neck raised to the sky. Her gryphon is a symbol of courage with its strong, stoic stance.

She sculpted each design with its origins in mind—textiles and stitching that make it feel handcrafted. Parrish-Hill also used her stained-glass techniques to make her pendants seem to glow. She also added tiny fleurs-de-lis and clovers to pay tribute to medieval France and England.

She hopes to see her works at the museum soon, but her local haunts will have to fulfill her love of art and history until then.

“As medieval Britain and Europe are a huge passion and focus, I love to travel and be immersed in the museums, churches, and historic buildings that inspire my work. I daydream of living abroad someday, as I would otherwise never have the chance to see all I wish to experience,” she says. “Grateful for closer visits to The Cloisters Museum in NYC and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston when a bit of inspiration is needed.”

Top: Fox & Crow pendants (price on request) from the Bayeux Tapestry on display at the British Museum. (Photos courtesy of Parrish Relics)