I started my journey at age 15, working weekends and school holidays for a local Mom and Pop jewellery manufacturing store in East London. I soon realised this was a career I wanted to pursue and on matriculating I was offered an apprenticeship as a goldsmith at the same store. Working at the bench and learning on the job was a wonderful experience and, in addition, I gained a lot of experience in
the art of selling. Since qualifying as a goldsmith, I have continued my education with certifications in diamond grading, gemstone identification and marketing. In July 1994 I started on my own with a few tools and my workbench working from home in Cape Town. I had no experience in running a business, but it was my dream and I was determined to make it work. Discovering that I have a natural flair for jewellery design and a practical knowledge of manufacture I believe has set me apart. For the next 10 years I ran my business from home, which had moved from Cape Town to my parent’s garage in Cowies Hill, KZN, to a home studio in Hillcrest. My two children were at school by then and this gave me the opportunity to be at home with them. I supplemented my income by selling gemstones to jewellers in Natal, visiting their stores in the mornings, spending the afternoons helping my children with homework and consulting with my clients and then manufacturing in the evenings and on weekends. I visited offices and home markets to display and sell my creations. In October 2004 I opened my first retail manufacturing shop in Hillcrest and by 2010, this had grown to two shops employing other goldsmiths and designers who could be mentored and guided by my passion and ethos. My passion is engaging with clients and designing bespoke, unique pieces that are a timeless, wearable works of art. From the initial consult, through the design journey to proudly presenting the completed heirloom piece that evokes fabulous reactions, I am very hands on, and love dealing with my clients one on one. Nothing gets lost in translation, the passion my clients have for their design is received as an energy that cannot be translated down a production line. I am part of every step in the process, leaving nothing to chance. So many clients are now firm friends and are based all around the globe, it is the only thing I have ever wanted to do, and I love every aspect of it, I sell happiness! A family jeweller is not a luxury, but an absolute necessity these days. It involves so much more than just trust. I am part of every milestone and memorable moment in their lives, I get to help make dreams a reality and capture special moments in what becomes a treasured heirloom to future generations. A great honour I now have is that so many of my clients’ children and grandchildren are now starting their own memorable journeys’ which I will be part of. In the 29 years owing my own business, there have been some wonderful highs and some lows. One of these being the Covid-19 lockdown. We had to close our business for 2 months. This could quite easily have been another low point, but for the first time in over a decade I had the time to concentrate solely on new ideas and pivoting my business. Had it not been for a payment holiday generously given by our landlord, I would not have been able to relax and concentrate on these extremely important decisions. Out of this, Jewellers by Design was born. This concept is derived by the idea that we need to “live by our own design”, and of course being a designer at heart the name was easy. This new branch will concentrate on mentoring other up and coming designers and jewellers from all walks of life regardless of race, creed and background. Experience, skill and empathy play a huge role in mentoring the newcomers. I believe small business is the backbone of the economy, employing locals and giving back to our communities. Small businesses should stand together and see where they can work collaboratively, combining skills and experience to uplift the communities around us and in so doing creating jobs and improving lives. I have downsized my brick-and-mortar stores to one allowing me to concentrate on my new concepts and ideas and am looking forward to the future.
