Anna Raimondo - The startup story of a contemporary South African jewellery designer inspired by bold and quirky references of the past

June 14, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Anna Raimondo, founder of SMITH Jewellery (South Africa) — **Anna Raimondo**, founder of SMITH Jewellery (South Africa)

In any jewellery design space, it is sometimes hard to make things that are instantly recognisable as the work of one creative person. Yet Anna Raimondo has created a brand personality and a design style that are uniquely hers, and as a result, the SMITH Jewellery brand is truly memorable.

Entrepreneur Advice from Amy Sinovich: There is no set formula to follow

June 11, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Amy Sinovich, founder of Resonate by amy — **Amy Sinovich**, founder of Resonate by amy

Trust the process and be prepared to keep learning....

"There is no set formula to starting a business and no two businesses will ever be the same, so my advice is trust your instincts and make decisions based on what feels right for you and your business, not based on what other people are doing."

- Amy Sinovich is an incredibly talented South African jewellery designer and the founder of Resonate by amy, a company that designs and manufactures bespoke jewellery. Amy is a graduate of the University of Johannesburg and the Ruth Prowse School of Art and in 2012 she was selected to exhibit as part of the Emerging Creatives programme at the 2013 Design Indaba.

Mary-Anne Grobler - The startup story of a trend-setting jewellery business with an eye for natural raw materials

May 24, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Mary-Anne Grobler & Kara Furter, of Matter of Fakt (South Africa) — **Mary-Anne Grobler & Kara Furter**, of Matter of Fakt (South Africa)

South Africa is renowned for its precious and semi-precious stones and for one of the country’s up-and-coming jewellery design brands, Matter of Fakt, these wonderful raw materials provide all the inspiration needed to create unique contemporary pieces.

Rachel Phiri - The startup story of a Zimbabwean jewellery designer with an independent creative spirit

May 18, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Rachel Phiri, founder of Silverbox Jewellery (Zimbabwe) — **Rachel Phiri**, founder of Silverbox Jewellery (Zimbabwe)

Zimbabwean jewellery designer, Rachel Phiri, founded her company Silverbox Jewellery based on a passion for beautiful accessories and an inbuilt creativity that was looking for an outlet. The result is a jewellery business being built across two countries in Africa, and involving the family and their talents in its growth and development.

Laura Nyahuye - The startup story of an avant garde Zimbabwean designer challenging existing notions of jewellery design

May 17, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Laura Nyahuye, founder of AdornU (Zimbabwe) — **Laura Nyahuye**, founder of AdornU (Zimbabwe)

There is a real sense of drama about the design work of Laura Nyahuye and her brand, AdornU, who is challenging convention and creating sculptural adornments for the body that speak volumes for the individuality and confidence of the wearer.

Teta Isibo - The startup story of a Rwandan designer creating bold African fusion jewellery with a contemporary edge

May 7, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Teta Isibo, founder of Inzuki Designs — **Teta Isibo**, founder of Inzuki Designs

Rwandan jewellery and accessory brandbuilder, Teta Isibo, is passionate about bold design and harnessing the creative craftsmanship talent of local women artisans to create unique pieces that have an instantly recognisable Inzuki Design style and aesthetic.

Ashley Heather - The startup story of an innovative jewellery designer reclaiming precious metals from computer circuit boards as source materials

May 7, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Ashley Heather, founder of Ashley Heather Jewellery — **Ashley Heather**, founder of Ashley Heather Jewellery

When LoA heard about South African jewellery designer, Ashley Heather, and how she is creating beautiful, handcrafted and contemporary jewellery pieces from, of all things, precious metals reclaimed from computer circuit boards, we just had to find out more.

Claire Nouvel - The startup story of a South African-based jeweller inspired by the precious metals and fabrics of the country

May 3, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Claire Nouvel, founder and designer, TiLT Handmade Jewels — **Claire Nouvel**, founder and designer, TiLT Handmade Jewels

Claire Nouvel is a young French-born, but South Africa-based jewellery designer who is deeply inspired by African culture and uses that inspiration for the creation of her unique, contemporary jewellery pieces, each one celebrating the local metals and materials used and preserving their integrity and authenticity.

Janet Pulford a South African jewellery designer inspired by the colours of the changing seasons

May 3, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Janet Pulford, founder of Gemboree — **Janet Pulford**, founder of Gemboree

As part of LoA’s Focus on Africa’s Women Jewellery Designers this month, we spoke to Janet Pulford, the Founder and Creative Director of South African company, Gemboree, about her current collection, its design inspiration, and what customers can look forward to in the coming weeks.

Amy Sinovich - The startup story of a South African jewellery designer telling inspirational stories through her wearable art

April 22, 2015 Melanie Hawken

There is something truly wonderful about translating the power of storytelling into beautiful pieces of bespoke, wearable art that connect on a deeply personal level with the person commissioning it. Amy Sinovich is an incredibly talented South African jewellery designer that is one such storyteller par excellence. Every unique handcrafted piece she creates from precious metals and semi-precious stones tells its own story, inspired by nature, poetry and the life of the person for whom it is made.

Sheila Mokgoadi - The startup story of a woman building a handcrafted Afroluxe jewellery brand with a modern twist

April 22, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Sheila Mokgoadi, founder of Azura Luxury Handcrafts — **Sheila Mokgoadi**, founder of Azura Luxury Handcrafts

Inspired by the unique, joyous nature of traditional African jewellery design, Sheila Mokgoadi’s luxury brand, Azura Luxury Handcrafts, has created a range of bold, chic and highly desirable pieces that appeals to the most sophisticated global buyers. Her dedication to ensuring the highest levels of craftsmanship, combined with a fiercely modern design aesthetic, are what make this African luxury jewellery brand so unique.

Katherine-Mary Pichulik - The startup story of a South African accessories designer who transforms everyday materials into something precious

February 23, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Katherine-Mary Pichulik, founder of Pichulik, South Africa — **Katherine-Mary Pichulik**, founder of Pichulik, South Africa

For Katherine-Mary Pichulik, a hugely talented and creative South African entrepreneur and jewellery accessory designer, the inspiration for her work comes from the alchemy of transforming everyday materials through craft, touch and design, and elevating them into something precious and covetable.

Jenna Clifford - The startup story of a world-renowned South African jewellery designer and entrepreneur

February 2, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Jenna Clifford, founder of Jenna Clifford Designs, South Africa — **Jenna Clifford**, founder of Jenna Clifford Designs, South Africa

Jenna is an inspirational example to women entrepreneurs across Africa that despite significant challenges in personal and business life, with many setbacks and considerable personal heartache along the way, it is possible to find business success.

Karin Rae Matthee - The startup story of the creative designer behind Dear Rae Jewellery

January 26, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Karin Rae Matthee, founder of Dear Rae Jewellery, South Africa — **Karin Rae Matthee**, founder of Dear Rae Jewellery, South Africa

In the world of jewellery design in South Africa, Karen Rae Matthee is a young entrepreneur with a vision, a unique design and creative aesthetic, and a deep commitment to skills development and upliftment in her community.