Blog Modules

Blog, Education, Exhibiting, Interviews, People

KickStart Alumni: Interview with 2014 Winner, Kristjan Eyjolfsson

by IJL •

It was an apprenticeship that spanned 7 years, through which time Kristjan honed his skills in much the same way venerable goldsmiths have done for centuries, developing an artisanal dedication to his profession that is increasingly rare today.

At 19, he received a scholarship to the prestigious Lahti Institute of Design and Fine Art in Finland, which he augmented with an Honours BA in Jewellery and Silversmithing in England. Advanced professional training followed, and it was not long before Kristjan was offered a head jeweller position at respected London company in 2006.

In 2012, Kristjan realised a long-held dream when he launched his namesake brand in partnership with his wife Ivonne, over the years he has won numerous awards for jewellery design and craftsmanship.

In honour of KickStart’s 10 year anniversary, we caught up with Kristjan to find out about his experience of being a KickStarter and her journey after.

Q. What have the last 12 months been like for Kristjan Eyjolfsson Fine Jewellery and what have been your most successful pieces/collections?

In mid-2016, I relocated to Sydney, Australia with my wife and baby. I set up my first studio in a charming suburb named Leichhardt, where the business generated a fair amount of local interest. In mid-2018, I made the decision to relocate to the central business district of Sydney, in order to be more accessible to my clients. So far, the move has paid off very well. In Sydney, my most popular collections include On The Rocks, Embrace, Ast and Cathedral – Australians appreciate bold designs and excellent craftsmanship and it is very rewarding.

Q. Where does your inspiration come from?

My inspiration is growing and changing constantly and has done so throughout my career. I have always said that a designer’s mind never stops working and therefore is always viewing and analyzing everything around him or her; including nature, textures and forms. Inspiration can strike anywhere, even on well-deserved holidays – a shadow of a wall onto branches or leaves can ignite a new design idea which sometimes leads to a whole collection being created. It’s not exhausting, I promise!

Q. What was your overall impression of KickStart and how did it help your business in its early stages?

Kickstart was a fantastic experience that gave me further branding focus and opened doors to many wonderful people in our industry.

Q. How can future KickStarters capitalise on their IJL Journey and the IJL experience? What would be your advice?

To get the most out of Kickstart and being a part of IJL, my advice would be to strengthen all uncertain or weak areas of your business. Typically for us creatives these areas include accounting, branding, communications and marketing. Once you have tidied up these areas and you have a pretty solid approach to production and running your business, you can focus on listening and learning and fine-tuning your voice during the time you have with the program and at IJL. And then let the real work begin!

Q. What was one of your biggest challenges in launching your jewellery brand and how did you overcome it?

I’m highly dyslexic and this has had a major impact on my business. This is particularly the case in day-to-day correspondence with my clients and reviewing any written communications such as contracts and social media posts. I have tried a few different approaches and nowadays I use a different type of font for all the things I read and also use the text-to-speech feature in Word in order to ‘read’ documents and correspondence so that I fully understand things. These changes have enabled me to have more time and energy to develop my work.

Q. Finally, what is the proudest moment in your jewellery career?

Other than designing and making a brooch for Queen Elizabeth II back in 2012, my proudest moment would have to be the fact that despite moving my business from London to Sydney and taking time to enjoy being a new father, my business is thriving and continues to grow strongly in my new home. I look forward to what the future holds!

Heading into it’s 10th Year, KickStart 2019 is now open for submissions. Enter here: https://www.jewellerylondon.com/kickstart/

To read more terms and conditions about KickStart, please click here. 

Quick Links: Listen to our IJL Talks podcast series

Quick Links: Discover how to create a press pack 



Blog, Education, Exhibiting, Industry, Interviews, News, People

KickStart Alumni: Interview with 2017 Winner, Emily Kidson

by IJL •

Emily is known for her use of wood and laminate with precious metals. Sensitive use of colour is central to her work and is the backdrop to a minimal, modern aesthetic with areas of intricate detail.

Old industrial cities and canal sides are particular influences, from tapered chimneys and pottery kilns to barges and water towers.

Emily has come back to making after a career as an art librarian. Her use of laminate started when she discovered it as samples in the Materials Collection at Central Saint Martins library in 2013

In honour of KickStart’s 10 year anniversary, we caught up with Emily to find out about her experience of being a KickStarter and her journey after.

Q. What have the last 12 months been like for Emily Kidson Jewellery and what have been your most successful pieces/collections?

It has been good! I’ve had a few jewellery adventures trying shows outside of London, whilst taking time to add a few new designs to my current collection which have been really well received.

Q. Where does your inspiration come from?

Inspiration comes from anywhere and everywhere, whether a quickly-captured image or the careful contemplation of a painting. Nature, art and architecture are particular influences.

Q. What was your overall impression of KickStart and how did it help your business in its early stages?

Kickstart was a great opportunity and a safe, supportive environment to show for the first time at a major trade show. It helped raise my profile and showcase my work to any industry audience I hadn’t reached before.

Q. How can future KickStarters capitalise on their IJL Journey and the IJL experience? What would be your advice?

Follow up on contacts made, keep press and other interested parties up-to-date with your business developments and any new collections.

Q. What was one of your biggest challenging in launching your jewellery brand and how did you overcome it?

Rather than a big challenge there have been lots of small ones along the way, from getting my branding consistent to costing and pricing. I’ve overcome them through trial and error,  research and advice from other jewellery professionals.

Q. Finally, what is the proudest moment in your jewellery career?

Being selected to exhibit at Loot in New York

Heading into it’s 10th Year, KickStart 2019 is now open for submissions. Enter here: https://www.jewellerylondon.com/kickstart/

To read more terms and conditions about KickStart, please click here. 

Quick Links: Listen to our IJL Talks podcast series

Quick Links: Discover how to create a press pack 



Exhibitor Press Releases

Pearl Academy by Raw Pearls Releases Next Instalment Online

by IJL •

One of the UK’s leading pearl jewellery suppliers, Raw Pearls, have published the latest instalment of Pearl Academy, their free online training course for retailers and their sales teams.

Part of Raw Pearls mission is to react to the industry’s changing needs. They are certainly doing this by embracing the biggest business trend this year: video. Through this channel they are providing much needed accessible pearl training to retail sales teams, giving them the vocabulary needed to sell pearls.

Miranda Raw, Director at Raw Pearls and the face of the campaign shares her passion for pearls and depth of knowledge in a clear and simple manner and delivers the key information in manageable bitesize chunks.

Cover of Part 2 Notes

In Part 2 Miranda explores the journey a pearl goes through before arriving as beautiful jewellery in your shop window. It highlights just how much work is involved, from breeding molluscs in hatcheries to the comprehensive sorting after the pearls are removed from the shells.

Raw Pearls are going the extra mile for their customer; using their knowledge and expertise to make their customers’ pearl businesses work for them.

Access Pearl Academy on Raw Pearls’ website https://www.rawpearls.com/services/pearl-training/

Blog, Trends

Revival in coral and pearl jewellery among top trends for 2019-20

by David Brough •

Pearls with a contemporary twist, playful coral, and innovative new materials and approaches to metals, are among top design trends for 2019-20 as seen at international jewellery trade fairs in the first quarter of 2019.
IJL will showcase the hottest trends, presenting the most innovative and cutting-edge design products from designers and brands at the show, which runs from September 1-3, 2019.

The following global design trend themes are highlighted for 2019-20: 

Discover more: The Top 10 Biggest Jewellery Trends from London Fashion Week AW19

Pearls

Since the Sotheby’s sale of a pearl and diamond pendant owned by ill-fated French Queen Marie-Antoinette for a world record price for a pearl of $36 millionlast November, there has been a strong revival in consumers’ fascination for pearl jewellery. The newest designs, seen at European trade shows early this year, present futuristic themes, combining pearls with diamond-encrusted stars and galaxies, and reinterpretations of the past, such as Art Deco tassels.

At the VicenzaOro fair in January, Australia-based Autore showed off intricately crafted pieces from its Stars & Galaxies collection. At Vicenza, Yoko London, which has exhibited at IJL, presented a necklace made from golden South Sea drop shaped pearls combined with diamonds, which will form the basis of the brand’s next collection featuring a blaze of colour.

  • Yoko London Starlight Collection

  • Yoko London Starlight Collection

  • Yoko London Starlight Collection

  • Yoko London Starlight Collection

  • Yoko London Starlight Collection

  • Yoko London Starlight Collection

At Baselworld, Yoko London showed off more affordable combinations of smaller size diamonds with pearls in its new Starlight collection, as well as extraordinary one-offs, featuring Akoya pearls. Several Yoko London pieces incorporated large tassels in a new twist on Art Deco glamour.

Exhibitors showcasing the best of Pearl Jewellery at IJL 2019 include Raw Pearls UK; Matt Aminoff London; ORA Pearls; Pearl Kobo Morishita; Pearls of the Orient and Samuel Jones Pearls.

View the Pearl Jewellery exhibitors at IJL 2019

Coral


  • Caption: Coral jewellery from Chantecler.






  • Caption: Coral jewellery from Chantecler.

PANTONE’s colour of the year in 2019 is living coral, a nurturing colour that appears in our natural surroundings, influencing a profusion of coral jewellery creations. Playful and lighthearted coral jewellery featured prominently in the European trade shows in the first quarter of 2019.

Precious coral from the great ocean depths is seen as sustainable in jewellery production, paving the way for exciting new creations to enter the global market this year.

Discover more: How Will the Pantone Colour of the Year 2019 Impact Jewellery?

New materials

The latest generation of designers “mix and match” unusual materials, such as ebony and bakelite, synthetic rubber and nautical cord, with traditional precious metals and gemstones.

At VicenzaOro, GIADANGROUP, whose pieces are “made in Italy”, combined an eclectic mix of innovative materials with precious stones, giving a fresh look to necklaces and bangles rich in colour. One necklace featured rings of African ebony amidst natural gemstones, while a bangle predominantly in jade incorporated a standout bakelite sphere.

At Vicenza, Bangkok-based designer brand Lucy G. used tough and durable nautical cord, combined with coloured gem-set fruit symbols, in her “Color of Fruit” bracelets. “The cord is resistant and durable and resists rain” said Giuliana Loglisci, owner and designer of Lucy G.

Metals Innovation

At Vicenza, Florence-based brand Annamaria Cammilli presented 18-carat gold in a range of colours and has launched “chocolate brown” gold rings to complement coloured gold such as “natural beige” and “apricot orange”.
The spread of gold colours was due to the use of different combinations of alloys.

Annamaria Cammilli is a pioneer in showcasing various colours in gold such as the rings from its “Dune” collection, and foresees strong consumer demand in its international markets this year. “Women love this range because they can choose the right colour for their skin tone” said Natasha Lazorova, Annamaria Cammilli’s North America brand manager.

Monica Rich Kosann, an established U.S. brand stocked in Neiman Marcus, well known for its lockets in 18-carat gold, is now venturing into steel jewellery, such as a black steel sun, moon and stars 47-inch chain.

Discover more: Why jewellery will always be in vogue

Watches

At a smaller Baselworld this year, leading watches brands were still out in force, with Rolex, Patek Philippe and Hublot spearheading the latest design and technical innovations in the main hall.

Technical advances, enduring elegance, environmental and flora and fauna themes (such as the Graff GyroGraff Endangered Species Collection), daring colour combinations, with an upsurge in rose gold and khaki, were out in force across the show.

“A lot of brands are doing bronze watches” said buyer Pratiek Kapoor of New Delhi-based Kapoor Watch Co, who was visiting Baselworld. “Patina dials are popular this year. Khaki green is also a big thing.”

Watch brands at IJL 2019 include: Calvin Klein Jewelry + Watches; BQ Watches; and Dante Cenci UK.

View Watch Exhibitors at IJL 2019

Discover trend forecasting insights at International Jewellery London 2019. Find out more here

Do you have fashion-worthy jewels to exhibit in the UK market? Speak to a member of our team to find out more about joining us in London from September 1 – 3, 2019.

Blog, Education, Exhibiting, Interviews, People

KickStart Alumni: Interview with 2014 Winner, Kristjan Eyjolfsson

by IJL •

It was an apprenticeship that spanned 7 years, through which time Kristjan honed his skills in much the same way venerable goldsmiths have done for centuries, developing an artisanal dedication to his profession that is increasingly rare today.

At 19, he received a scholarship to the prestigious Lahti Institute of Design and Fine Art in Finland, which he augmented with an Honours BA in Jewellery and Silversmithing in England. Advanced professional training followed, and it was not long before Kristjan was offered a head jeweller position at respected London company in 2006.

In 2012, Kristjan realised a long-held dream when he launched his namesake brand in partnership with his wife Ivonne, over the years he has won numerous awards for jewellery design and craftsmanship.

In honour of KickStart’s 10 year anniversary, we caught up with Kristjan to find out about his experience of being a KickStarter and her journey after.

Q. What have the last 12 months been like for Kristjan Eyjolfsson Fine Jewellery and what have been your most successful pieces/collections?

In mid-2016, I relocated to Sydney, Australia with my wife and baby. I set up my first studio in a charming suburb named Leichhardt, where the business generated a fair amount of local interest. In mid-2018, I made the decision to relocate to the central business district of Sydney, in order to be more accessible to my clients. So far, the move has paid off very well. In Sydney, my most popular collections include On The Rocks, Embrace, Ast and Cathedral – Australians appreciate bold designs and excellent craftsmanship and it is very rewarding.

Q. Where does your inspiration come from?

My inspiration is growing and changing constantly and has done so throughout my career. I have always said that a designer’s mind never stops working and therefore is always viewing and analyzing everything around him or her; including nature, textures and forms. Inspiration can strike anywhere, even on well-deserved holidays – a shadow of a wall onto branches or leaves can ignite a new design idea which sometimes leads to a whole collection being created. It’s not exhausting, I promise!

Q. What was your overall impression of KickStart and how did it help your business in its early stages?

Kickstart was a fantastic experience that gave me further branding focus and opened doors to many wonderful people in our industry.

Q. How can future KickStarters capitalise on their IJL Journey and the IJL experience? What would be your advice?

To get the most out of Kickstart and being a part of IJL, my advice would be to strengthen all uncertain or weak areas of your business. Typically for us creatives these areas include accounting, branding, communications and marketing. Once you have tidied up these areas and you have a pretty solid approach to production and running your business, you can focus on listening and learning and fine-tuning your voice during the time you have with the program and at IJL. And then let the real work begin!

Q. What was one of your biggest challenges in launching your jewellery brand and how did you overcome it?

I’m highly dyslexic and this has had a major impact on my business. This is particularly the case in day-to-day correspondence with my clients and reviewing any written communications such as contracts and social media posts. I have tried a few different approaches and nowadays I use a different type of font for all the things I read and also use the text-to-speech feature in Word in order to ‘read’ documents and correspondence so that I fully understand things. These changes have enabled me to have more time and energy to develop my work.

Q. Finally, what is the proudest moment in your jewellery career?

Other than designing and making a brooch for Queen Elizabeth II back in 2012, my proudest moment would have to be the fact that despite moving my business from London to Sydney and taking time to enjoy being a new father, my business is thriving and continues to grow strongly in my new home. I look forward to what the future holds!

Heading into it’s 10th Year, KickStart 2019 is now open for submissions. Enter here: https://www.jewellerylondon.com/kickstart/

To read more terms and conditions about KickStart, please click here. 

Quick Links: Listen to our IJL Talks podcast series

Quick Links: Discover how to create a press pack 



Blog, Education, Exhibiting, Industry, Interviews, News, People

KickStart Alumni: Interview with 2017 Winner, Emily Kidson

by IJL •

Emily is known for her use of wood and laminate with precious metals. Sensitive use of colour is central to her work and is the backdrop to a minimal, modern aesthetic with areas of intricate detail.

Old industrial cities and canal sides are particular influences, from tapered chimneys and pottery kilns to barges and water towers.

Emily has come back to making after a career as an art librarian. Her use of laminate started when she discovered it as samples in the Materials Collection at Central Saint Martins library in 2013

In honour of KickStart’s 10 year anniversary, we caught up with Emily to find out about her experience of being a KickStarter and her journey after.

Q. What have the last 12 months been like for Emily Kidson Jewellery and what have been your most successful pieces/collections?

It has been good! I’ve had a few jewellery adventures trying shows outside of London, whilst taking time to add a few new designs to my current collection which have been really well received.

Q. Where does your inspiration come from?

Inspiration comes from anywhere and everywhere, whether a quickly-captured image or the careful contemplation of a painting. Nature, art and architecture are particular influences.

Q. What was your overall impression of KickStart and how did it help your business in its early stages?

Kickstart was a great opportunity and a safe, supportive environment to show for the first time at a major trade show. It helped raise my profile and showcase my work to any industry audience I hadn’t reached before.

Q. How can future KickStarters capitalise on their IJL Journey and the IJL experience? What would be your advice?

Follow up on contacts made, keep press and other interested parties up-to-date with your business developments and any new collections.

Q. What was one of your biggest challenging in launching your jewellery brand and how did you overcome it?

Rather than a big challenge there have been lots of small ones along the way, from getting my branding consistent to costing and pricing. I’ve overcome them through trial and error,  research and advice from other jewellery professionals.

Q. Finally, what is the proudest moment in your jewellery career?

Being selected to exhibit at Loot in New York

Heading into it’s 10th Year, KickStart 2019 is now open for submissions. Enter here: https://www.jewellerylondon.com/kickstart/

To read more terms and conditions about KickStart, please click here. 

Quick Links: Listen to our IJL Talks podcast series

Quick Links: Discover how to create a press pack 



Exhibitor Press Releases

Pearl Academy by Raw Pearls Releases Next Instalment Online

by IJL •

One of the UK’s leading pearl jewellery suppliers, Raw Pearls, have published the latest instalment of Pearl Academy, their free online training course for retailers and their sales teams.

Part of Raw Pearls mission is to react to the industry’s changing needs. They are certainly doing this by embracing the biggest business trend this year: video. Through this channel they are providing much needed accessible pearl training to retail sales teams, giving them the vocabulary needed to sell pearls.

Miranda Raw, Director at Raw Pearls and the face of the campaign shares her passion for pearls and depth of knowledge in a clear and simple manner and delivers the key information in manageable bitesize chunks.

Cover of Part 2 Notes

In Part 2 Miranda explores the journey a pearl goes through before arriving as beautiful jewellery in your shop window. It highlights just how much work is involved, from breeding molluscs in hatcheries to the comprehensive sorting after the pearls are removed from the shells.

Raw Pearls are going the extra mile for their customer; using their knowledge and expertise to make their customers’ pearl businesses work for them.

Access Pearl Academy on Raw Pearls’ website https://www.rawpearls.com/services/pearl-training/

Blog, Trends

Revival in coral and pearl jewellery among top trends for 2019-20

by David Brough •

Pearls with a contemporary twist, playful coral, and innovative new materials and approaches to metals, are among top design trends for 2019-20 as seen at international jewellery trade fairs in the first quarter of 2019.
IJL will showcase the hottest trends, presenting the most innovative and cutting-edge design products from designers and brands at the show, which runs from September 1-3, 2019.

The following global design trend themes are highlighted for 2019-20: 

Discover more: The Top 10 Biggest Jewellery Trends from London Fashion Week AW19

Pearls

Since the Sotheby’s sale of a pearl and diamond pendant owned by ill-fated French Queen Marie-Antoinette for a world record price for a pearl of $36 millionlast November, there has been a strong revival in consumers’ fascination for pearl jewellery. The newest designs, seen at European trade shows early this year, present futuristic themes, combining pearls with diamond-encrusted stars and galaxies, and reinterpretations of the past, such as Art Deco tassels.

At the VicenzaOro fair in January, Australia-based Autore showed off intricately crafted pieces from its Stars & Galaxies collection. At Vicenza, Yoko London, which has exhibited at IJL, presented a necklace made from golden South Sea drop shaped pearls combined with diamonds, which will form the basis of the brand’s next collection featuring a blaze of colour.

  • Yoko London Starlight Collection

  • Yoko London Starlight Collection

  • Yoko London Starlight Collection

  • Yoko London Starlight Collection

  • Yoko London Starlight Collection

  • Yoko London Starlight Collection

At Baselworld, Yoko London showed off more affordable combinations of smaller size diamonds with pearls in its new Starlight collection, as well as extraordinary one-offs, featuring Akoya pearls. Several Yoko London pieces incorporated large tassels in a new twist on Art Deco glamour.

Exhibitors showcasing the best of Pearl Jewellery at IJL 2019 include Raw Pearls UK; Matt Aminoff London; ORA Pearls; Pearl Kobo Morishita; Pearls of the Orient and Samuel Jones Pearls.

View the Pearl Jewellery exhibitors at IJL 2019

Coral


  • Caption: Coral jewellery from Chantecler.






  • Caption: Coral jewellery from Chantecler.

PANTONE’s colour of the year in 2019 is living coral, a nurturing colour that appears in our natural surroundings, influencing a profusion of coral jewellery creations. Playful and lighthearted coral jewellery featured prominently in the European trade shows in the first quarter of 2019.

Precious coral from the great ocean depths is seen as sustainable in jewellery production, paving the way for exciting new creations to enter the global market this year.

Discover more: How Will the Pantone Colour of the Year 2019 Impact Jewellery?

New materials

The latest generation of designers “mix and match” unusual materials, such as ebony and bakelite, synthetic rubber and nautical cord, with traditional precious metals and gemstones.

At VicenzaOro, GIADANGROUP, whose pieces are “made in Italy”, combined an eclectic mix of innovative materials with precious stones, giving a fresh look to necklaces and bangles rich in colour. One necklace featured rings of African ebony amidst natural gemstones, while a bangle predominantly in jade incorporated a standout bakelite sphere.

At Vicenza, Bangkok-based designer brand Lucy G. used tough and durable nautical cord, combined with coloured gem-set fruit symbols, in her “Color of Fruit” bracelets. “The cord is resistant and durable and resists rain” said Giuliana Loglisci, owner and designer of Lucy G.

Metals Innovation

At Vicenza, Florence-based brand Annamaria Cammilli presented 18-carat gold in a range of colours and has launched “chocolate brown” gold rings to complement coloured gold such as “natural beige” and “apricot orange”.
The spread of gold colours was due to the use of different combinations of alloys.

Annamaria Cammilli is a pioneer in showcasing various colours in gold such as the rings from its “Dune” collection, and foresees strong consumer demand in its international markets this year. “Women love this range because they can choose the right colour for their skin tone” said Natasha Lazorova, Annamaria Cammilli’s North America brand manager.

Monica Rich Kosann, an established U.S. brand stocked in Neiman Marcus, well known for its lockets in 18-carat gold, is now venturing into steel jewellery, such as a black steel sun, moon and stars 47-inch chain.

Discover more: Why jewellery will always be in vogue

Watches

At a smaller Baselworld this year, leading watches brands were still out in force, with Rolex, Patek Philippe and Hublot spearheading the latest design and technical innovations in the main hall.

Technical advances, enduring elegance, environmental and flora and fauna themes (such as the Graff GyroGraff Endangered Species Collection), daring colour combinations, with an upsurge in rose gold and khaki, were out in force across the show.

“A lot of brands are doing bronze watches” said buyer Pratiek Kapoor of New Delhi-based Kapoor Watch Co, who was visiting Baselworld. “Patina dials are popular this year. Khaki green is also a big thing.”

Watch brands at IJL 2019 include: Calvin Klein Jewelry + Watches; BQ Watches; and Dante Cenci UK.

View Watch Exhibitors at IJL 2019

Discover trend forecasting insights at International Jewellery London 2019. Find out more here

Do you have fashion-worthy jewels to exhibit in the UK market? Speak to a member of our team to find out more about joining us in London from September 1 – 3, 2019.