Hailing from a jeweler family, this London-based designer maintains a workshop in Rajasthan and draws inspiration from local symbols and beliefs.
Designed in London and fashioned by highly skilled craftspeople in Rajasthan, Sophie Theakston’s fine jewelry features religious symbols and honors India, the country she fell in love with on a visit 10 years ago.
That trip was “life-changing,” and she’s been working with her workshop there ever since. Her team of expert artisans selects opals, tourmalines, polki diamonds and labradorite, among other precious and semiprecious stones, to be set in her textured gold designs.
The daughter of two jewelers, Theakston draws her inspiration from the spiritual meaning behind ancient beliefs, vintage jewelry, and the energy of the stones themselves.
When was your first trip to India? When did you start to feel attracted by it?
I always knew I wanted to go, even as a child. My parents traveled to Sri Lanka and brought back wonderful tales and beautiful gems! So there and India were high on my list. I first traveled myself to India about 10 years ago and totally fell in love. It is such a genuinely unique place and I think you either love it madly or are maybe a bit baffled by all the chaos. For me it was a life-changing moment, both personally and professionally. It’s pure magic.
Your work shows many different and appealing stones. How do you choose the stones for your designs?
I work with a great team of stone dealers in Jaipur and when they find stones they know are on my radar or that they think will appeal they send them straight my way. I love one-off pieces, each with their own individual patterns and quirks; dendritic quartz; the myriads of different colored tourmalines; polki diamonds of all shapes and sizes…. All organic stones where you can allow the art of nature to shine through, without requiring too much human interference in the cutting or setting.
What did you learn from your jeweler family that is useful for your own project?
Firstly, that hard work and passion for what you do are the vital ingredients to making it work. My parents had a genuine love for gemstones and beautiful design, so that was completely transferred to me. And when you’re around things as a child I think they connect with you at a very deep level. Some of my earliest memories are of playing with trays of gold charms and being thrilled at the beauty and preciousness of them, and I still have that feeling of excitement when I see creations come to life today.
You said before that Covid-19 was the time for creativity. How did you find inspiration during the pandemic?
I think Covid-19 made us all go a little more inward and try and find answers within. Being with your own thoughts and dealing with complex feelings can also often give rise to a creative surge, and I really found that to be true personally. For me, creativity is very therapeutic.
In which ways do you feel the growth of online shopping has helped you reach a wider audience? Have you found new ways to connect to your customers recently?
I think online engagement has grown hugely for luxury goods and jewelry purchasing over the last couple of years, and it has been so helpful to my business. Instagram has become a major part of how I connect with my customers, too; both new customers and keeping my existing customers up to date with everything that I am working on. It’s a vital component for me and my work.
How do you think sustainability is changing the jewelry industry?
I think it is completely changing the industry, which is just great. I don’t think people any longer want to contribute to a world of generic mass production where they can’t see the chain of production. We are looking for more visibility from manufacturers. Beautiful things should be made with kindness to the planet and to the people making them — it’s as simple as that.
Which are your favorite activities when you need to stay away from work a bit?
Spending time with my family and dogs and being out in nature. I also love the theater and visiting galleries, of which I am spoiled, living in London. I also have a Triumph Stag which I pootle around in, to nowhere in particularly. Those are the things that definitely make me smile.
What would you have been if you weren’t a designer?
I worked in media before, but jewels were always my hobby and passion. And I think I would have always found some sort of creative outlet with designing or styling them in some form. I think it was a scratch I always needed to itch!
Which is the next challenge for your brand and for the whole industry?
I would love to try and get my brand more exposure in the US. My American customers have been so encouraging, and I feel there is real potential for growth there. For the industry as a whole, I think the maintaining of sustainability credentials and making ethical practices front and center of all manufacturing. It will happen because it has to happen.
Main image: Sophie Theakston, jewelry designer. Photo: Sophie Theakston.
