British Jewellery Week aims to showcase excellence in British creative jewellery design, promoting and supporting the new, young wave of talent and celebrating what makes their work so exciting and unique. Three young ambassadors who represent the very best in upcoming British jewellery design – Tomasz Donocik, Lauren Adriana and Jasmine Alexander – front the roving jewellery ‘trunk show’. This week the designers will showcase their jewels at the recently opened  Wave Contemporary Jewellery store in Knightsbridge, London, until the 21st July. I was delighted to meet them all at Treasure this year and in fact chose Jasmine’s ‘Ascent Victorious’ ring as one of my Editor’s Choices at the show. Don’t miss this extraordinary collection, it is well worth a look!!

Ascent Victorious ring	Jasmine Alexander at Treasure

A bit about the British Jewellery Week ambassadors:

Lauren Adriana:
Lauren Adriana graduated with a diploma in Gemmology and a degree in Jewellery Design from renowned London art college, Central Saint Martins. Having previously consulted for LVMH-owned luxury brand Fendi, stockists were lining up to buy her sell-out graduate collection in 2007. Following a stint with Kabiri and Selfridges, and the launch of her second collection with designer Paul Smith during Coutts London Jewellery Week 2008, she now stocks Browns exclusive bridal store. Lauren has also recently established a showroom on Ledbury Road, in London’s Notting Hill, called Vintage Academy. She views her involvement in British Jewellery Week as a unique and exciting opportunity. “It’s a great chance for me to show my jewellery outside of London and widen my client base,” she says. “It’s also nice to be grouped with other great designers".

Prism ring, Lauren Adriana

Tomasz Donocik:
Since graduating from London’s prestigious Royal College of Art, Tomasz Donocik has designed for Stephen Webster, De Beers and leading international companies. His edgy collections have already won prestigious awards, and one-off pieces have already been spotted by several big brands keen to work with him to develop diffusion lines. Recent projects have seen him designing commercial yet typically cool collections for major international jewellery brands, including an ongoing freelance design project with leading British brand, Links of London. Donocik says he was keen to get involved with British Jewellery Week to strengthen his brand’s presence in the market. “I am hoping I’ll be able to target new accounts and stores as part of British Jewellery Week,” he says. “It’s a great chance to showcase new collections as well as my existing work. I am looking forward to getting exposure to retailers across the UK.”

Chesterfield hunters bangle, Thomaz Donocik

Jasmine Alexander:
Jasmine’s work is inspired by poetry, eccentricity and luxury. She has been tipped as ‘the next big thing’ by the national press and has been described as the jewellery equivalent of Vivienne Westwood because of her stark individuality and unique creative talent. Her first collection only debuted two years ago, shown alongside Paul Smith in 2008, before being one of six designers chosen to exhibit at the Kara show at the Louvre, Paris. In 2009, Alexander was nominated for the Bright Young Gems Award and was invited to show at IJL as part of Kickstart. Towards the end of the year, Alexander will be showing at Place Vendôme during the winter Paris Fashion Week, and is looking at holding an event in collaboration with independent London retailer Kabiri. “As one of the ambassadors for British Jewellery Week, I hope Lauren, Tomasz and I, at very least, are able to express the emerging passion coming up at the moment,” she says. “I find this a very exciting time for the UK jewellery industry, and I think it is one of the last creative fields to take its rightful place in the public consciousness.”  Jasmine goes on to say that the likes of Webster, Leane and Fennell have set the bar and created something upon which to build. “It feels as though the weight of that crown no longer rests on a few,” she says. “There is a new insurgence; stunning minds working to alter and challenge public perception. And alongside these stunning minds is an entire undercurrent of passion and brilliance.”

Primal collection, Jasmine Alexander

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