I started out as a jeweller exactly 20 years ago this month. I launched with a single collection, bursting with ideas and an appetite to keep pushing my designs in new directions. It’s been an exhilarating journey so far, full of unexpected twists and turns. Here is just some of my story of the last 20 years.
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It’s amazing what you can manage to get done during nap time, and with a baby gym set up in the workshop! Actually, I think motherhood has been the best training for juggling work and life, learning to be super efficient and get work done in small chunks of time! |
In 2012 Stephen Webster started a new exhibit called Rock Vault with the British Fashion Council, as part of London Fashion Week. To my delight my work was selected, along with other up and coming fine jewellers and our work was shown to fashion press and buyers.
Some of the original Rock Vault cohort: Fernando Jorge, Yunas and Eliza, Imogen Belfield, Husam el Odeh, Alice Cicolini, Melanie Georgacopoulos, Hannah Martin, Tomasz Donocik, Jo Hayes Ward
Rock Vault was sponsored by the international Palladium board for a spell, we were even given some palladium to make a piece with for two seasons.
Two Palladium statement pieces I made for Rock Vault in 2012 and 2013.
I was lucky enough that Rock Vault took me to far flung places - from Las Vegas where we exhibited in the Couture Jewellery show, to Shanghai and Hong Kong where we collaborated with diamond supplier Hearts on Fire. This was definitely a huge moment for me that helped to show my work to a much bigger audience, and open doors with renowned stockists both around the globe and closer to home.
As the years went on I steadily expanded my collections, now there are eleven!
Examples from all the collections: Cube, Koin, Contour, Glint, Parquet, Square, Stratus, Hex, Triangle, Structural and Deco.
But I have also adored creating bespoke, one-of-a-kind pieces when the opportunity has arisen. These are just some of my favourites.
Examples of my recent bespoke projects.
With boy three in tow, I was delighted to undertake a piece of public art for Riverside Studios at Hammersmith. It felt like creating a piece of jewellery for buildings! That was a very special moment. Read all about it here.
With boy 3 at the installation of Jo's Artwork and the finished piece.
Covid was a tricky time; not being able to meet my clients face to face or enjoy the usual events, on top of all my trusted stockists shutting shop and cancelling orders - AND having three kids at home! When I wasn’t failing massively at home schooling, I used the change of situation to slowly build my own online shop and figure out a rhythm for the business that worked for me.
Since those lockdown days, I have refined my stockists, concentrated more on direct sales and taken on more bespoke commissions.
Working on a repurposing project...
I also added a repurposing option, to breathe new life into unworn jewels. It has been such a pleasure working closely with clients in this way. There have been so many brilliant projects, from creating fresh treasures from Sophie’s stash, left to her from both Granny's, to helping Patsy re-define and claim back her jewellery, to working with Dominique’s incredible aquamarine…
Dominique's aquamarine statement piece, Patsy's reclaimed rings and Sophie's transformed heirloom jewels.
You can explore more of these jewellery stories in my repurposing gallery here.
Another very exciting moment was being contacted by Costume designer Jenny Bevan’s team, enquiring about using my jewellery in the then upcoming film Cruella, to be worn by Emma Thompson no less.
Emma Thompson at the Baronesse in Cruella and some of the rings she wore in the film.
Seeing my big statement rings on the big screen is still a pinch me moment and a huge moment for a small business.
With the recent hike in the price of gold, and a natural curiousity about materials, I’ve been re-visiting alternative materials, first silver, and very recently aluminium. Read more about my latest Aluminium collection here.
I feel so fortunate that 20 years on, this is still my job, and that I have the privilege of spending my days designing, making and running a creative business alongside family life. I could not do it without you - so thank you enormously for being here and letting me be part of your story. I’m super excited about where the next 20 years will lead.
