The Emerging British Jewellery Designers to Watch Now
By Amy Wakeham
2 years ago
Exciting new names for your jewellery box
Britain has a long and extravagant history of jewellery making, and boasts several established names that have been around for centuries. However, it’s not just the grand dames of jewellery that are worthy of your attention – there is plenty of exciting up-and-coming design talent to look out for in the jewellery world. Here’s who has made C&TH’s radar in recent months.
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Emerging British Jewellery Designers
Tatiana Van Lancker of Van Robot
Tatiana’s quirky jewelled robot pendants are the cornerstone of her playful Van Robot brand. Handmade in Tuscany from 18ct gold and precious stones, the robots are accompanied by two new Art Deco-esque signet rings.
Lucy Crowther of Minka Jewels
A gemologist who learnt her trade working as a stone trader in Hatton Garden and in India, Lucy founded Minka Jewels back in 2016. Understandably, given her background, her jewellery is mainly gem-led, with minimalist gold designs that allow the coloured jewels to shine.
Nina Dzhokhadze and Natia Chkhartishvili of NeverNot
After careers in fashion and jewellery, the founders of NeverNot, Nina and Natia, decided to funnel everything they’d learnt so far into creating a collection of beautiful pieces for everyday wear. And so NeverNot was born: colourful conversation starters inspired by the spirit of adventure and exploration.
Malaika Carr
London-based Malaika Carr is a jewellery designer and architect who runs design studio Chalk: Made by Architects. Her vibrant geometric designs are influenced by architectural elements, everyday objects and bold colourful cultural patterns, and have been worn by Catherine, Princess of Wales.
Aliyah Hussain
A multi disciplinary artist who works across contemporary art and craft, Aliyah Hussain’s designs adapt the techniques typically found in traditional ceramics. The result is a sculptural collection of necklaces, earrings that seemingly move and undulate before your eyes.
Jessie Thomas
After a five-year apprenticeship to her father, esteemed jeweller and master goldsmith David Thomas, Jessie has now branched out with her own collection of fine jewellery. Think gilded pearls, sculptural rings and expert craftsmanship.
Boodi Jewellery
Kuwaiti-born, London-based Sarah Marafie’s jewellery designs are a paean to her Middle Eastern childhood, when she used to explore local markets with her mother for old, tarnished Arabic ornaments, jewels and rugs. The resulting pieces are all hand carved from wax and cast in recycled silver and brass, and Sarah only uses ethical, traceable, conflict free, fairly traded gemstones.
Maha Lozi
London meets Lebanon in Maha Lozi’s colourful, personality-filled designs. Working with high quality zirconia and gold plated silver, Lozi’s jewellery is a reflection of her eclectic, vibrant lifestyle.
Rahul Patel
Designer Rahul Patel creates his concise and thoughtful collections of unisex jewellery alongside master craftsmen in London. He uses semi-precious stones with interesting stories and meanings – like the Red Jasper in this amulet, which was linked to the fertility of Mother Isis in ancient Egypt, while Native Americans believed that it was the blood of Mother Earth.
Genesis Red Jasper Amulet, £100. rahulpatelcollection.com
The Ouze
After graduating with a degree in fashion design in 2021, Toby Vernon decided to take a different road making jewellery. A self-taught designer, he’s inspired by the weathered and worn silver jewellery found at the markets in and around Lewes, the town in which he grew up. All the pieces under his label The Ouze are made from recycled metal with lab-grown gems or those sourced from trusted suppliers.
Raw blue sapphire scatter band in gold, £999. the-ouze.com
Cece Jewellery
It was during art historian-turned-jeweller Cece Fein Hughes’s studies at the British Academy of Jewellery that she fell in love with the ancient art of enamelling, a craft that sits at the heart of her exquisitely detailed rings and pendants in recycled gold and enamel.
Forget-Me-Not hoops with 18ct gold, enamel and diamonds, £13,950. cecejewellery.com
A Sinner in Pearls
This London-based jewellery brand was founded by Samuel Gallagher in 2020, and has already been worn by the likes of A$AP Rocky and Lewis Hamilton. The handmade, unisex pieces use freshwater pearls, jewelled pendants, and precious stones, with the finished result a fresh, colourful and original take on pearl jewellery.
Main image by Cece Jewellery