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Meet Sonja Bessant Jewellery, an artisan designer specialising in the creation of bespoke and timeless jewellery pieces.
SoLo Craft Fair sits down with founder Sonja to discover how a hobby can transpire into a fully-fledged indie business, the best-sellers in her collection to-date, and the skills she’s working on to expand her growing jewellery range.
“I’m Sonja, a jewellery designer using new and recycled silver and gold to make timeless jewellery, often with clean and geometric lines.”
“I grew up in a small German town where my parents ran a family jewellery business, so jewellery has always been a part of my life. From a young age I would spend quite a bit of time in our family workshop experimenting with different materials and tools.”
“In my early twenties I moved to London. After university I worked as an event manager for many years. I loved the job but always missed being creative with my hands, and so decided to start attending jewellery-making evening classes as a hobby.”
“Many years later I became a mum and this massive lifestyle change allowed me to re-evaluate my whole life. I decided to give jewellery a go. And I’m now extremely proud to have grown my original passion and hobby into my very own small indie business.”
“All my pieces are originals and handmade in my South London studio with a real enthusiasm for making beautiful and, most importantly, wearable jewellery.”
“I still struggle sometimes to find enough time in my workshop to design new collections, fulfil orders and complete all the admin and marketing that’s required. But I absolutely love what I do, the freedom and creativity it gives me, and the ability to be my own boss.”
“The highlight for me is the creation of commissioned pieces. Working closely with clients and turning their ideas into a piece of jewellery which they will treasure for many years to come is a real privilege and one of the most satisfying aspects of my job.”
“Over the years I’ve developed different jewellery collections, all with a focus on clean, geometric lines, simple shapes and timelessness. London, as a big, bustling city, certainly inspires my collections a great deal as does the simple beauty of nature with its incredible structures and natural patterns.”
“Many customers return to buy gifts for their loved ones. Earrings and rings are by far the most popular pieces in my collection. My pearl ring with a twist is a very popular choice as well as my ‘hidden treasure’ collection. For the summer, many customers buy anklets and dangly earrings as an accessory for their wardrobe.”
“I’m always interested in new skills and techniques and I recently completed a course in advanced stone-setting, so I’m now working on a new collection incorporating more precious stones into my designs. Rings lend themselves beautifully to be adorned with colourful, precious stones. I’d love to develop a wedding and engagement ring collection. So far, I’ve done these on a commission basis, but it would be great to have these in my online shop permanently.”
“The most invaluable advice I’d give to aspiring makers would be to “just go for it!” Don’t wait for the right moment. It’ll never come, and there will always be an excuse not to explore something new. Attend local courses to learn and develop the discipline and skills you’d like to have.”
“Don’t be afraid to ask around and contact other makers; we’re a friendly bunch and have all been in the same boat before and are always happy to help like-minded souls. Also, have a social media presence and spend some time developing skills around that. It will really help you to get your designs in front of more people than just friends and family.”