About Claire — The Maker Behind Bijouelle Jewellery

Jeweller at workbench with tools and magnifying glass

Hello, I'm Claire

I've been making jewellery for about twelve years now. I trained at the School of Jewellery in Birmingham, which is probably the best three years I've ever spent. After that I worked in London for a while, doing production work for a couple of established designers, learning the business side of things.

But London didn't stick. I missed being outside, and I missed having space to think. So in 2016 I moved to a smallholding in the Quantock Hills with my partner and started Bijouelle from a converted outbuilding at the bottom of the garden.

It's just me here. No employees, no interns. I do everything myself: the design work, the casting, the stone setting, the polishing, the packing, the customer emails. That's deliberate. I want to know every piece inside out before it leaves my hands.

How I Work

Sketch & Design

Every piece begins with pencil on paper. I work out proportions, stone placement, and how it will sit against skin before touching any metal.

Carve & Cast

I carve the piece in wax, check the fit, then cast it using the lost-wax method. Recycled gold and silver only.

Set & Finish

Stones are set by hand under magnification. Then it's hours of filing, sanding, and polishing until the surface is exactly right.

Package & Post

Each piece ships in a linen pouch inside a recycled card box. I post Royal Mail Tracked, and everything is insured.

Materials I Believe In

I'm quite fussy about what goes into my work. All my gold and silver is recycled, sourced from a UK refiner who can trace everything. It costs a bit more than buying fresh-mined metal, but the environmental difference is enormous.

For stones, I work with three dealers I've known for years. They can tell me exactly where each stone was mined and under what conditions. No middlemen, no guesswork. I mostly use tourmaline, sapphire, aquamarine, and garnet. Occasionally moonstone or opal if I find a good one.

All pieces over 1g of gold or 7.78g of silver are hallmarked at the Birmingham Assay Office. That's not optional in the UK, but even if it were, I'd do it anyway. It's proof that the metal is exactly what I say it is.

The hands behind the work