UK Based Jewellery Designers
TELL US HOW LA DIOSA STARTED?
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| The Owners (Semhal and Natash) |
After travelling around the world for a year and mainly living in Mexico we were truly inspired by what we experienced. We learned how to make jewelry while living with a small group of women in Mexico and we were heavily influenced by the Aztec designs and culture.
TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF? BACKGROUND/ORIGIN?
I (Natasha) am from Uganda originally and Sem is half Ethiopian, half Eritrean.We both have the East African connection!
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE LA DIOSA AS YOUR BRAND NAME, DOES IT HAVE A MEANING? HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN BUSINESS?
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| Elle Necklace |
La Diosa literally means The Goddess in Spanish. We aim to evoke qualities of a Goddess through our striking and elegant designs.
WHAT TECHNIQUES AND MATERIALS DO YOU ENJOY USING IN YOUR WORK?
La Diosa only uses semi-precious or precious gemstones. We love working with the vibrant and lustrous colors to create our designs, they really make a visual impact and add to the value of the piece. My favorite gemstone is Labradorite
DESCRIBE THE LA DIOSA WOMAN, WHO IS YOUR IDEAL CLIENT?
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| Gordon Brown's wife wearing LA DIOSA jewellery |
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| Gordon Brown's wife wearing LA DIOSA jewellery |
The La Diosa woman can be anyone, it's about what she intends to bring out of herself. La Diosa is all about empowering the wearer and making her feel beautiful and confident like a Goddess.
NAME AND DESCRIPTION OF YOUR LATEST JEWELRY COLLECTION: WHAT ARE THE INSPIRATIONS BEHIND IT?
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| Honey-Moon Collection |
The Honey-Moon collection is based on two moons coming together and intertwining around a dazzling gemstone. It represents love, trust and beauty. The perfect gift for yourself or loved one!
YOUR FAVORITE JEWELRY PIECE IN YOUR COLLECTION/ALL YOUR WORK SO FAR AND WHY?
I love everything we create of course, but I do love Labradorite so much! So any of the pieces in gold with Labradorite do it for me.
MOST WELL KNOWN PERSON/CELEBRITY TO HAVE WORN YOUR JEWELRY TO DATE?
Michelle Obama
OTHER DESIGNERS YOU ARE WATCHING/LIKE/APPRECIATE?
I am completely focused on La Diosa but I do love the work of Tsemaye Binite – he’s great!
WHAT IS YOUR PRICE RANGE?
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| NMCF: Bracelet Happiness |
£40 - £450
WHERE CAN WE BUY YOUR JEWELRY PIECES?
WHERE CAN WE BUY YOUR JEWELRY PIECES?
You can shop Ladiosa Jewelry @ www.ladiosa.co.uk
THE HISTORY OF ANKARA
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| Ankara Fabric |
The Ankara fabric is a flamboyant and colorful material that has become popular not only in Africa but internationally. It started when the Turkish people from Ankarra, produced a replica and cheaper version of the quality Dutch Wax print. The replica was an imitation of the Indonesian batik that was locally produced in Java at the time, it became very affordable to more people. The English and Dutch who were well know colonial powers helped in industrializing and popularizing the material, by so doing, it became popular in other foreign lands.
The material evolved from the original (hand drawn motifs on cotton material), to mass-produced materials whereby the machines do the engraving and dye resistant resin, this in turn produces a batik effect on the material similar to that of the Dutch.
The material eventually spread to different parts of Africa. In East Africa for example, it is known as Kanga; In Zambia and Southern Africa it is called Chitenge or Kitenge. The French people also identified with the fabric and named it Se Promener. The fabric has graced global fashion shows such as New York Fashion Week and has been worn by many celebrities like Beyonce and her sister Solange, Gwen Stefani, Rihanna and so on.
We had an opportunity to interview a young designer, Yinka, who uses Ankara to make beautiful necklaces and other accessories.
Enjoy the interview:
AKEYNO HANDMADE ACCESSORIES
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| Kente Flower Necklace |
Tell us how Akeyno started?
It was actually my father that encouraged me to start my own business, when I told him I wanted to get a job to help pay for some expenses for my junior prom that was coming up. At that time my line was called O Jewelry. In high school, I used only beads and I sold my creations to my teachers and classmates. When I got to college, my mom gave me her sewing machine and I began experimenting with African fabrics (Ankara) as well.
Tell us a bit about yourself? Background/Origin?
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| Proud Owner |
Why did you choose Akeyno as a brand name for your jewelry line, does it have a meaning? How long have you been in business?
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| Kente Africa |
Akeyno is my middle name, Onyeka, spelled backwards. It originates from the Igbo tribe and means 'Who is greater than God?' I have been in business since 2005, which was my sophomore year in high school.
What techniques and materials do you most enjoy using in your work?
I enjoy making ruffles to make the ruffle bib necklace and I enjoy working with different patterns of African fabric.
Describe the Akeyno woman/man (that is, your ideal client)?
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| Keke Bib Necklace |
My ideal client is a fashion-forward individual who is proud of their unique sense of style.
What is your favorite jewelry piece in your collection/all your work so far and why?
The Akeyno signature bib necklace is my favorite because it is a statement piece.
Which other designers do you like or appreciate?
OYATO, Boxing Kitten, and Grey
What is your price range?
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| Ankara Clutch Bag |
$10-$50
Where we can buy your jewelry pieces?
You can shop Akeyno's jewelry pieces online at www.akeyno.com
BOBBIE MEDLIN - MYSTICAL CREATIONS
The fabulous artifacts and antiquities included in Bobbie Medlin’s creation come from the snowy mountains of Tibet, rural villages in India, colorful souks of North Africa, and many other mystical places. Bobbi’s love for making necklaces began years ago when she discovered a 19th century Tibetan flint case. She combined it with richly hued beads of amber and coral, and from that her first neck piece was born. The artistic expression of world cultures continues to be her inspiration.
Enjoy Jewel Coco’s interview with the lovely designer Bobbie.
TELL US HOW BOBBIE MEDLIN STARTED?
When my husband and I moved to DC 6 years ago, I decided to do something that had been a hobby of mine and then I turned it into a business. I had been making jewelry for myself for years and when we moved to D.C. I opened a shop and away it went.
TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF? WHERE ARE YOU FROM? WHAT'S YOUR BACKGROUND?
I am a Pacific North Westerner so I am far from home. I too like you have always loved jewelry. My professional background is not in jewelry design. I was a teacher, an elementary school teacher, but I always liked really fascinating artifacts from other cultures around the world. When you look at the jewelry and you see the antiquities represented, it’s wonderful to know where they are from.
WHAT TECHNIQUES AND MATERIALS DO YOU MOSTLY ENJOY USING IN YOUR WORK?
The pendant of the necklace is huge and about 300 years old. On the parameter of the jade is Arab calligraphy intricately carved and the calligraphy is also the most powerful prayer of protection in all of the Quran. The vertical line is the beginning of the phrase or the prayer and it goes from right to left, all they way around. At the center is inscribed the 99 names of God. The jade is translucent, so when its put under a magnifying glass, you can really appreciate the master carver's work. It is one thing to carve a piece of stone and it is another to actually write on a piece of stone perfectly without any mistakes, this makes the calligraphy rare and special. In fact, a curator at a museum loved the piece very much.
WHAT TECHNIQUES AND MATERIALS DO YOU MOSTLY ENJOY USING IN YOUR WORK?
The things I really love the most are the discoveries you make about other cultures. All cultures and the people around the world adorn themselves for a number of reasons, some for sentimental reasons and others for protection or inspiration. The pieces I like to work with just represent these cultures, the antiquities, and finding something you have never heard of before or things you can see when you go to museums. Those are the kind of things I have to offer the buyer.
GIVE A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE 'BOBBIE MEDLIN WOMAN,' THAT IS, YOUR IDEAL CLIENT?
Interestingly, the typical Bobbie Medline woman is a woman who is
looking to buy pieces for herself. She buys it because the piece may speak to her or she has traveled to the country its inspired by or she is simple struck by the beauty of its. She is also some who travels a lot and the kind of person that can appreciate what might look odd to someone else that has never explored another culture or another country. Typically, she has seen a bit of the world.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PIECE IN YOUR COLLECTION SO FAR AND WHY?
I have to say that I have had a lot of favorite pieces. One that is really remarkable to me is a ‘Persian Amulet’. It’s a piece that has calligraphy hand carved in jade. Islamic Calligraphy is very important to the culture because they did not represent animals or people in their artwork; as a result, calligraphy became a way of expressing beauty in their art.
ANOTHER FAVORITE PIECE
I make this piece only a few times a year and female architects purchase it, I guess because it is so graphic. It is made of all ebony wood but the fun thing about this piece is I used violin-tuning pegs and then interspaced them with ebony wood beads. The tuning pegs are old so you don’t know how many symphonies they have played. It is very light weight and fun to wear.
WHO IS THE MOST WELL KNOWN PERSON/CELEBRITY THAT HAS WORN YOUR JEWELRY?
Well, that is something that I don't really talk about because people like their privacy. It is exciting when someone we all know from politics or film industry comes into the store! It is fun and I get a kick out of that! But my best customers are people like you and I. They come frequently and most of the time just to look, mainly because you don't buy an important piece every month. I have had celebrities come in but I am obviously not famous or anything.
ARE THERE OTHER DESIGNERS YOU LIKE/APPRECIATE?
I love jewelry a lot, so yeah I really appreciate jewelry designers. Its something all jewelry designers have in common you know.I collect tribal artifact, tribal jewelry and adornments but that doesn’t mean I don’t love other things as well. For example, I am wearing this modern ring I bought from a German couple that work in Germany and have exhibitions all over the world. I love modern and traditional jewelry, so I pretty much love it all!
WHAT IS YOUR PRICE RANGE?
The price range of jewelry is from as inexpensive as $200 to as expensive as $10,000 depending on what I use in making them. Antiques can be very expensive, since they are very rare; they are also worth a lot and are very special. I would say an average price for a necklace is about $500. Again, I try to keep the prices as low as I can.
WHERE CAN WE BUY YOUR JEWELRY?
You can find Bobbie's neck pieces at:
Address: 2900 M Street NW Georgetown, DC 20007
Phone: (202) 333 - 2630
Email: bobbie@bobbiemedlin.com
Thanks for sharing Bobbie, Jewel Coco had fun interviewing you!!!
WiREALM BY TAMARA - SO UNIQUE
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| Tamara, designer and creator, with her artwork |
WHAT IS THE INSPIRATION BEHIND YOUR COLLECTION?
To me, working with wire is like having a blank piece of paper with a pen - but in my case, the wire is the pen. I hardly ever use beads or decorative objects because wires, cords and metals are beautiful on their own. My collection is really about re-purposing everyday objects and letting materials speak for themselves.
HOW DID YOU START YOUR JEWELRY BUSINESS?
I've been creating art since I was a kid and this continued all the way through college. I started creating jewelry in middle school, turned it into a business in high school, and continued selling my jewelry at art markets and various stores as much as school and work permitted!
WHAT TYPES OF MATERIALS DO YOU USE?
For my main jewelry line, I use intricate sterling silver wire to design earrings, necklaces, bracelets, rings, "crickets" [ear cuffs]. My second line involves similar designs but in different colors to add some flavor. My most recent collection, Junkture, is more industrial, and for that I use ‘found objects’ (nails, keys, chains, cords/cables, soda cans/bottle tops, etc) and some steel, rubber or colored wire to hold the objects together.
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| Recycled Bottle Cap Necklace with black bead and pearl accents |
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| WiRealm by Tamara advertising for Art Market and August show at the DC Art Market |
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| “In Bloom” necklace in Gunmetal and Brass, “Avalanche” necklaces in Yellow/Orange and Seafoam/Sterling Silver |
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| “Sweet Pea” bracelets |
You can shop at my etsy shop at
FEATURED DESIGNER - CLEANEDWIRED JEWELRY
HOW DID YOU START CLEANWIRED?
My handmade jewelry line has been in existence since last summer. I learnt the basics on the art of jewelry making in high school. Then I put my creativity on hold for a few years until I unlocked it from hibernation in June 2010!
TELL ME A LITTLE ABOUT THE CRYSTAL NECKLACES; IS THERE A STORY BEHIND THEM? I AM IN LUV WITH THEM!
Like all of my jewelry, the crystal necklaces on this stand are handmade too! My bullet casing necklaces create a great juxtaposition between healing crystals and the most harmful objects known to the world. I love hunting for stones that are the right size for the casings, and in the process learning about the stones’ properties. I’ve used everything from quartz to selenite, ruby, calcite, amber, aquamarine, blue topaz, blue larimar, aragonite, and amethyst in these pieces. In a pure fashion sense, these look awesome layered with other great necklaces or doubled up by itself.
WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO MAKE THIS INSPIRING NECKLACE?
I began doing “petite” wire wrapped pieces for a spa in Maine called Kosmetikos; they carry my jewelry. I love the idea of being able to offer one of a kind, unique pieces at prices that are affordable to everyone and anyone.
SO HOW DOES THE CRYSTAL BIBLE HELP YOU WHEN DESIGNING YOUR JEWELRY?
The Crystal Bible! On my Etsy site, I list a summary of the properties of all the stones in a piece of jewelry. I’m not a crazy crystal lady, but I must admit there is something strangely powerful about using ‘negativity blocking’ stones, for instance, or creativity enhancing stones in one piece.
WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO MAKE YUMMY FEATHER EARRINGS?
I started making feather earrings after reading about feather extensions on the Free People blog. Just over a year ago, stores were doing extensions for FREE! This was such a change from the $50 it costs now for 2 or 3 feathers (the kind you put in your hair). I started creating earrings that mimicked the look of extensions without the permanence- these earrings look perfect for anyone with a strict dress code or commitment issues! My earrings have morphed in style as skinny feathers have become scarce, but it’s forced me to explore new ideas!
SO WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE DESIGN SO FAR FROM THESE COLLECTIONS?
The wire wrapped piece peaking out is my favorite. All my pendants and rings start as spools of silver wire that I make into intricate patterns or weave, depending on what I am trying to achieve. Normally, when I start, I don’t have an exact idea in mind, I just let my thoughts flow and my imagination run wild.
WHERE CAN WE BUY YOUR PIECES?
Clean Wired is offering our readers a SPECIAL DISCOUNT for its customers – take 15% off on any purchase, just mention the code Marcatus. I hope you enjoyed this interview and don’t forget to shop at:
DANNIJO JEWELRY - BOLD & FEARLESS
Dannijo Jewelry speaks fabulous, rock and unique! If you follow the show Gossip Girl, you would recognize some of their jewelry. Their jewels can also be found at various well-known outlets like, Net-a-Porter, Bendel’s, Charm and Chain (online boutique shop) and ShopBob. Two sisters Danielle and Jodie Snyder founded the jewelry line in 2008. All their jewels are hand-made in New York.
The designers of Dannijo jewelry playfully use a mixture of mixed metals, quartz and pearls to create bohemian, rock’n'roll inspired styles. The jewelry collection is bold and fearless. You would see a lot of mixing and matching of metals as well as stacking and layering that creates a magical look. Danielle and Jodie Snyder were raised in Jacksonville, Florida. They began making jewelry as children, and both dreamt of owning their boutique someday. The two sisters attended college in two different states. Jodie stayed in her hometown and attended University of Florida while Danielle went to Vanderbilt in Tennessee. After graduating from college, they moved to New York to pursue their career in fashion, there they became reunited once again.
The sisters began working on one of their projects a jewelry collection for the benefit of the African non-profit LWALA. The collection for the non-profit project received positive feedback and that was the beginning of DANNIJO as we know it.
Jewel Coco’s favorite Dannijo’s collection are the Bibs, Entangled and Bohemian.
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| BEA |
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| BRAMLEY |
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| ZSA ZSA |
Visit their website at www.dannijo.com
TOM BINNS – AN INSPIRATIONAL DESIGNER!
If you have been searching for over the top statement jewelry, search no further because Tom Binns is the designer you need. He is an Irish designer and also the winner of the prestigious CFDA award, which he got for his stylish and cutting edge jewelry line. Tom’s jewelry line represents a range of contemporary luxe jewels, from abstract designs, shimmering crystals with a mixture of pearls, playful punk spirit, to show stopping one of a kind pieces.Binns has gone from creating just regular jewelry to designing pieces that would keep people staring and wondering:
Enjoy viewing some of his pieces below:
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