A former Hatton Garden jeweller is returning to her Yorkshire roots to set up a new workshop in Harrogate.
Angela Clemmet, 37, spent more than a decade designing and making jewellery by hand in the world-famous London jewellery quarter.
Now, with her own studio on Cheltenham Crescent in the centre of Harrogate, she is offering private customers an alternative to the traditional styles of ring and other jewellery.
Angela said:
Jewellery is very personal and I’m keen to offer something for people who want to break with tradition and choose a unique piece for a special gift or occasion that simply doesn’t exist on the high street.
As well as making bespoke jewellery to order and even working with couples who want to design their own wedding rings, Angela is developing her own Art Deco style capsule collection which she hopes might attract the attention of high end retail outlets.
Despite a life-long love of design and art, Angela came to her jewellery career relatively late.
Angela said:
I was working in IT for an animation company at the time and it just wasn’t the right career for me.
I wanted to do something creative and to work with my hands. I was very fortunate to be offered an apprenticeship with a fantastic jeweller in London in 2003.
Six years later, Angela established a workshop with a friend and went on to enjoy great success, creating bespoke items for clients across the UK and beyond. However, she always knew she would return to her native county, and late last year the opportunity to open a workshop in Harrogate provided the perfect opportunity.
Despite her background in IT, the modern trend for using computers for design and manufacture is something Angela has always resisted in favour of more traditional methods.
Angela added:
Hand-making the jewellery is really important to me. It’s my passion and what I came into the industry for.
There’s no substitute for working directly with the materials you’re using and adding that personal touch that only comes from making everything yourself. I can’t imagine moving away from using my hands every day in my work.
Everyone’s taste is different and the same designs won’t appeal to everyone. I don’t believe anyone should wear something they don’t like just because fashion or society dictates it.
My philosophy is simple: wear the jewellery you love in the way you want to wear it.
