I can’t believe how time can pass by so fast- it is officially my 20th Anniversary as a jewellery designer this month (November 2010)!
It’s odd to think it all started after creating a pair of fish cufflinks for the clients of my mother’s fish business all those years ago. It was from this that Links of London emerged which my husband, John, and I founded. I never imagined it would turn into such a success. Being the Creative Director of Links for 16 years, I learnt so much about the jewellery industry, which later gave me the confidence to create Annoushka, an entirely different collection based on my own personal expression and beliefs on how jewellery should be worn.
I couldn’t wait to get started and create all the pieces I had in my mind. I felt like a child again, playing and having the luxury of designing and creating my own personal collections, which I had been dying to do for ages! With Annoushka I wanted to create a jewellery wardrobe, with each piece carefully designed to be mixed and mingled with other pieces across the collection. I had hoped to inspire women to wear their cocktail rings to dress up jeans, even if it is only on a trip to the supermarket or to do the school runs!
To celebrate my 20 years as a jewellery designer I created three limited-edition Mythology Butterly Amulets, only 20 of each design were made. I choose butterflies as they are beautiful and delicate and represent my new found freedom as a designer…. and without sounding too cheesy, it seemed the obvious choice to me, as still after 20 years I get ‘the butterflies’ when I see a new collection, design or a find new stone on my travels! Each butterfly is like a little miniature work of art created in 18ct yellow gold, with an array of different coloured diamonds, sapphires and amethysts. I couldn’t decide which one I loved the most, so I’m wearing all three! I was so flattered as the butterflies have already been spotted as must have’s by Vogue, Marie Claire and Tatler since their launch!
It is without question that when I look back over the past 20 years I can safely say that the collections I am designing now at Annoushka have given me more pleasure than any before.
