Armed with a degree in ‘Jewellery Designing’ from Central Saint Martins and a Diploma in Diamond Grading from the Gemological Institute of America, young Rachel Boston is a London-based jeweller and designer with a mind of her own and adequate talent to match.
Here, in an Interview with Rough&Polished, Rachel Boston, Director, Rachel Boston Jewellery and a ‘millennial’ herself, reflects on the global jewellery scene showing a pre-view of the future, in more ways than one.
Some excerpts:
Can you give us an overview of your company; your brand /jewellery? When and how did you decide to do designing/ jewellery business? Was it an inclination towards creativity or a natural thing to do, given that your family background is linked to diamonds?
My jewellery brand has been going for 4 years since I launched in 2012. At first it was fashion jewellery basing collections on natural forms like beetles and scorpions and then a year and a half ago I moved in to fine jewellery which I’d always wanted to do. I’d always been creative at school and most of my focus went in to Design and Technology lessons where no matter the brief I’d bring it back to jewellery. I think it does have a lot to do with my father working in the diamond industry, we’d travel with him and I’d see a lot of incredible jewellery and naturally I was drawn towards that. I also love the sentiment and storytelling quality of jewellery which is unique in the fashion world.
Are you trained / qualified in the ‘designing’ aspect of jewellery? Where does your inspiration stem from, especially for your contemporary designs?
I graduated from Central Saint Martins after studying Jewellery Design BA and then continued on to study Diamond Grading at GIA. I also make a lot of my own jewellery having always enjoyed the manufacturing aspects at university and also interning at Shaun Leane’s workshops whilst I studied.
You seem to have entered the international markets already. Are you looking at any new emerging markets to explore in particular? Which and why?
Right now I’m trying to focus on the American market having just shown for the first time at Couture Show in Las Vegas. I was chosen as part of Rock Vault show with Stephen Webster and it was an incredible experience. I was debuting my alternative bridal collection which was very successful and I think has a real place in the American market. I think a lot of people are growing bored of the traditional brilliant cut and halo type wedding jewellery and are being drawn to the more one off pieces that have a story so I’m looking on expanding this collection as I go on.
What is your signature style? Can a jewellery connoisseur recognize a ‘Rachel Boston’ piece from its unique characteristics? Your designs are unique… Where do you get your inspiration from?
With my jewellery I’m always trying to balance modern design that has a sense of timelessness. I’m not focused on trends and I don’t want my jewellery to be trend based but instead be something people can pass on to their loved ones one day and not seasonal. My designs are clean, geometric and edgy. I like to design a lot using knife edge bands and then setting diamonds on one side I like the subtlety of the pave diamonds like this. I’m also very inspired by magic and symbolism, my first collections looked at nature but creatures that had magical symbolism undertones and my newer pieces look at Runes and their meanings, I like my jewellery to be a talisman for the wearer.
Are the jewellery in your shop readymade pieces or can they be customized as well? Do you design for celebrity clients as well… and are they one-of-a kind pieces?
I sell everything made to order which means the customer can also customise their piece however they like, different stones, different metals I like to be flexible. A large part of my business is bespoke and I make a lot of one off engagement rings and unique pieces, this is my favourite part of what I do. The celebrity clients who have worn my work tend to buy or borrow them as is but I would love to do more bespoke work for them as well!
What are the different materials you experiment in your jewellery? Does the diamond content play a major part in your pieces? And, what quality/size/shape of diamonds are more in demand with your clientele?
I have worked with everything from teeth to beetle elytras! Now I’m much more focused on diamonds, especially diamond slices and more included stones. I like the uniqueness of the included stones and how every stone has different clarity characteristics which will be unique to the customer. My alternative bridal range focused on using only included and cloudy diamonds mixed and it’s had a great response. I think there’s definitely a growing market for people looking for alternative engagement rings.
What is your typical client profile in London and elsewhere? And what’s the fashion scene in London currently, in terms of diamond jewellery? With London being the fashion capital of the country, is colour diamond studded jewellery popular? What, in your opinion, is the fastest moving jewellery type at present?
I would say the only thing that very obviously links my clients are customers who are looking for something unique. People who come to me often tell me they scoured more traditional and bigger houses and were bored by what they saw and how it all looked very similar so we work together to create something bespoke and different that suits their personality more. I think people are definitely embracing colour more, I’ve had a lot of people asking about yellow and grey diamonds recently.
The jewellery choices of millennials is taken very seriously at present by the industry. As a young person yourself, what’s your opinion on their choice in diamond jewellery, given that many analysts claim that millennials are more inclined towards lab-grown diamonds?
I’m sure there is a market for lab-grown diamonds out there but I have yet to see it personally. I’ve not had any clients come to me expressing an interest in it and personally I wouldn’t want to work with lab grown diamonds myself. To me what is beautiful about diamonds is the journey and pressure they come from through the earth and even if you recreate those conditions in a lab the story and the journey is lost. You can’t fake that magic of the real thing. I think it’s incredibly important to know where your stone is coming from and know that it is ethically sourced, I only work with certified stones from trusted sources and I make sure my clients know this and this is definitely important to them. Millennial's are definitely very concerned with the environment as we rightly should be and as my business grows I will always be focused on doing everything I can to limit my footprint and give back wherever I can. I think recycling jewellery is important and I really enjoy working with antique stones, I have a lot of clients who bring me older pieces or heirlooms which they want redesigned I think this is a great way to be kind to our planet as well.
The future of natural/mined diamonds seems to be at stake, with the lab-grown diamond sector promoting their produce as non-intrusive on the earth, pro-environmental etc., which may match the millennial way of thinking. Are lab-grown diamonds a threat to mined diamonds? Your take please…
I think there will always be a market for people who want the real thing. Maybe over time this will change but I think for the near future what people appreciate about diamonds is the balance of science and art in a natural stone which a lab grown just doesn’t have.
Did your initial days in business throw up challenges or was it smooth sailing? Can you recall any interesting episodes? Do you think the family support is essential to be a success in a new venture?
It was very difficult starting up. I started up straight after graduating which I wasn’t expecting with just a work bench in my living room where I sat day and night making by hand the first collection by myself. The business growing has been very organic and just through learning on the job as I go. Every problem has been a lesson and every failure has driven me to try again but work harder. I absolutely love what I do so even when it’s overwhelming which it often is it doesn’t feel like a job but just something in my life that needs a solution. I’m very lucky that I’m surrounded by amazing family and friends. My Dad is very passionate about my business and is always offering me advice or acting as a sounding board for my ideas, and most of my best friends are also jewellers and we all support each other and discuss designs together which is hugely helpful. It can be very isolating running a business by yourself and without friends and family support I think it’s easy to get overwhelmed.
Do you think it is essential for a creative person to get trained technically/professionally before taking ‘jewellery designing’ as a career? Your advice to the fresh designers/newcomers to the industry would be?
I think education and training is very important. I benefited hugely from interning and even though it was hard balancing university and an internship I consider the lessons in the workshop and design room at Shaun Leane as important to my lessons in the classroom.
Aruna Gaitonde, Editor-in-Chief of Asian Bureau, Rough&Polished
