Bespoke Craftsmanship

JESSICA POOLE is known for her bespoke bridal creations. Her mastery lies in bringing a fabric-like softness, fluidity, twists and folds to precious metals. She revels in the traditional methods of goldsmithing and derives great satisfaction from spending hours at the bench – slowly crafting metal into a defined shape. She further trained in Antwerp to master the art of micro pave setting so that she has greater control over the final product. When you know so much precision, effort and love goes into each piece, the resultant jewellery shines with a deeper radiance.

Jessica worked with top British jewellery brands like De Beers and Boodles before setting out on her own. She speaks to ALIYA LADHABHOY about focusing on high-end bespoke creations and bridal collections.

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Did you always want to be a jewellery designer/goldsmith?

I think I was always destined to be my own boss. At the age of 14 I began making jewellery from silver wire and beads and my dad encouraged me to take them to a local boutique to see if they would like to stock them. When I walked out of the store, not only had it placed an order, but all the employees working there that day had bought a piece from me. That very moment I realised that I could making a living from doing what I loved.

What is it that drew you to jewellery design? Tell us about your journey.

I love working with metal, I love its properties and the fact that when you manipulate the metal it holds its form unlike clay, for example – the randomness and volatile nature of clay would drive me mad! Strange as it may sound, I enjoy the time-consuming, slow developing nature of a craft such as jewellery making.

Once I realised my true calling and decided my career path, I set out to learn the craft of goldsmithing. After a degree in jewellery and applied arts, I knew I had to learn traditional techniques as I was bursting with ideas from the art college training but had none of the required skills. I then completed an intensive jewellery skills programme in Kilkenny, Ireland, which was based on the German apprenticeship scheme. From there on, I worked with various jewellery houses and was lucky enough to make pieces for some of the top names in the British jewellery world, including De Beers and Boodles.

Why and when did you decide to launch your own label?