Meet The Indie Jewellers Spearheading Creative Collaborations

In recent years, a surge of high-profile collaborations has garnered publicity for big name jewellers. Last year Swarovski enlisted ambassador Ariana Grande to help co-design a capsule collection; Tiffany & Co. launched the latest evolution of its pearl-encrusted Titan fine jewellery, created with Pharrell Williams; and Chopard has previously worked with Rihanna on a colourful suite of high jewellery inspired by her home island of Barbados. 

Without huge marketing budgets, smaller jewellers have traditionally been unable to pursue such starry alliances. Now there’s a wave of exciting new launches thanks to creative partnerships between indie jewellers and craft-based artisans, showcasing what can happen when passionate makers come together. 

Independent jeweller Annoushka Ducas has long been a pioneer here, giving pop-up space to other jewellers and artists, most recently Anna Foster and her recycled denim brand ELV. Next up is sculptor Laura Ford, whose maquettes will be exhibited from 13 October to early January, coinciding with the launch of Annoushka’s new Touch Wood range where talismans have a sliver of ebony alongside gold and diamonds. 

Annoushka Knuckle Dust Double Hoop earrings, Knuckle Tri Diamond ring and Knuckle Dust Diamond bangle, all in 18k yellow and white gold and diamonds, on ELV denim

For veteran jewellery designer Alex Monroe, currently celebrating 40 years in the industry, collaborating with Edinburgh-based goldsmith Balint Samad was a prime opportunity to catch up with an old friend, as well as to expand his creative direction. ‘When the team and I started working on our 40th anniversary collection, we wanted to do a lavish piece in 18 karat gold and precious stones but we don’t have that skillset in my workshop,’ Monroe says. ‘I’ve always thought Balint was a gifted craftsperson, so we asked him to come on board to combine our skills with his personality and flair.’ 

Samad was equally delighted. ‘I’m still emerging in the industry, so it was great to work with an established company. As a bench jeweller, I also work alone and do everything myself, so this was a chance to stretch my creative muscles in a different way, which was really rewarding.’ Rather than working with sketches, the makers spent 18 months passing silver casts of a serpent-shaped ring between them (the snake has been part of Monroe’s design repertoire since the 1990s), each tweaking their ideas before sending them to the other for modification.

Jet McQuiston’s Mythical House of Inspiration necklace and l’objet d’art incorporates 30 artist’s quotes from the last five centuries, available from The Jewelry Cast

‘There was a lot of trust on both sides, as we didn’t want to step on each other’s toes,’ says Samad. The result is a sensuously weighty gold ring, which Samad set with Madagascan and Mozambican rubies (an appropriate anniversary stone) to evoke the look of snakeskin, and engraved with a vintage-inspired star. ‘The piece is definitely greater than the sum of either of us,’ says Monroe. ‘It’s got such vigour and character, which it wouldn’t have without the collaboration.’ 

Similarly, the award-winning goldsmith and engraver Castro Smith and fine jeweller Polly Wales eschewed sketch books when working on their capsule collection of one-of-a-kind necklaces and rings. The pair first connected years ago via Instagram and decided to collaborate after meeting at the Goldsmiths Fair two years ago. ‘We went to a pub in Clerkenwell and the ideas just flowed,’ Smith remembers. ‘Rather than working on sketches, we sent each other the pieces to work on. We have quite similar attitudes, so it felt very natural. It was like having a conversation – you don’t draft it first.’ 

Ferried by willing friends between the pair’s workshops, the 16 pieces – which combine Wales’s emblematic skull and lock silhouettes and cast gemstone technique with Smith’s nature-inspired engravings – took just under two years to complete. Most pieces sold out almost immediately. ‘Neither of us went into the partnership for commercial reasons. We did it for the love of the craft and our gamble paid off ,’ says Smith. ‘I think it’s important for jewellers to build this kind of community with each other. It makes us stronger, creatively and in business.’ 

PW x Castro Smith Dew Drop Cognac Diamond Padlock necklace in 18k yellow gold, cognac and white diamonds, and Flight of Fancy Rainbow Garland Padlock necklace in 18k yellow gold, rainbow sapphires and white diamonds

The collaborations that Pippa Small has built up over many years with artisans in conflict-torn regions also represent a powerful lifeline. ‘The orders we get from international buyers have given us distraction – and stress relief – from the devastating news,’ says Nadira Alaraj, founder of Bethlehem-based Zaytouna Jewellery, which crafts 18 karat olive leaves and fruit for Small’s Golden Zaytoun collection. 

Elsewhere, Small’s new Myth, Light and Element in Jewellery pieces were made by skilled artisans in both Afghanistan and Myanmar, where Small has other artisanal partnerships. ‘There’s a market for these beautiful jewels,’ Small tells me, ‘and these craftspeople deserve both a platform and visibility for their incredible work.’ 

It’s a subject close to jewellery consultant and entrepreneur Darren Hildrow’s heart. He founded The Jewelry Cast collective to bring together young jewellers and elevate their brands by offering professional advice and sales exposure. ‘There’s a lot of gatekeeping in our industry when it comes to talent and resources, which is terrible for creativity and causes skillsets to die out,’ he says. ‘The jewellers we select are true artists but don’t have the backing to push themselves forward. We work with them, and they support each other, to get their businesses off the ground.’ 

Megan Brown exhibited her pieces at cult Edinburgh boutique Ætla during the Festival Fringe

Members of the London Cast, which debuted last year, included Jet McQuiston, Martina Kocianova, and Jasmine Ataullah, as well as Balint Samad. Each received a year’s mentorship from industry experts then submitted a special jewel on the theme of ‘Extinction’ which was exhibited at events in Paris and London. Orders from retailers such as Dover Street Market happily followed, and plans are in motion for similar Cast collectives in both Japan and the US. 

‘Creating space for dialogue, experimentation and visibility within jewellery feels essential, especially in a city like London where so many creative voices converge,’ says Lebanese jeweller Nada Ghazal, who hosted The Jewelry Cast’s London exhibition at her Belgravia boutique. ‘It’s an investment in the future of our industry. It strengthens connections, celebrates excellence and reinforces the belief that jewellery is a vital form of artistic expression.’ 

For the same reasons, Fernando Jorge has been inspired to host an exclusive residency in his newly expanded Mayfair showroom for Indian designer and artist Vikram Goyal during PAD London this October. ‘As soon as I saw Vikram’s work I was taken by the dedication and skill level it requires. He has a deep respect for materials, Indian craftsmanship and tradition, but it’s expressed in a way that feels contemporary,’ explains Jorge of Goyal’s sculptural, jewellery-like approach to creating bronzes, cabinets and furniture. 

In Edinburgh, Keira Wraae-Stewart holds quarterly residencies for both emerging and established jewellers at her renowned boutique, Ætla. ‘It gives them the opportunity to introduce their work to a new audience, while bringing different styles to our clients,’ she says. ‘Some of the residencies develop into long-term relationships, becoming part of our permanent collection.’ Wraae-Stewart is now planning the seventh iteration of the programme, which will include pieces by Megan Brown, whose work combines traditional weaving techniques with precious metals, and Eliz Fan, whose jewels draw on Japanese philosophy. 

Back in London, Monroe is working on next year’s collections but would love to undertake another special collaboration soon. ‘As a team, we like to produce a few red carpet-worthy, couture-like pieces. Watch this space.’