The Bite Magazine - Spring/Summer 2022 - Issue 31

bitejewellery lery, including unique, weighty collections and handmade bespoke jewels, has been worn internationally. A jewellery designer for the past four years, Susan- nah revealed that having in- tegrity matters the most to her. “I believe you should be true to yourself when designing and creating - that’s what makes a piece so enticing. When the soul of the creator is in the piece, you can feel it.” Being a jewellery designer means she can create something for someone that will last a lifetime. “Fine jewellery is special and is one of the few material items almost always sentimental.” The first jewellery piece she designed was a white gold ring. “I worked with a fashion de- signer internationally and said designer didn’t pay me for my work,” she revealed. “When I got home, I was exhausted and furious. My experi- ence inspired me to create a textured ring with a central blue tourmaline. Its texture [represent- ed] the ups and downs that I had experienced in life. I decided that this ring would be my signa- ture, and it inspired a range that was sold in Paul Smith, New York and on Farfetch.” Susannah King London has two collections called Vita and Orgaya. Vita consists predomi- nantly of glamorous rings such as the Sapphire Multiset Ring, a fluid 9-carat yellow gold ring with four stones or the sensational 9-carat yel- low fluid Emerald Statement Ring set with two lab-grown emeralds and SI1 F colour diamonds. Another chunky piece is the Moissanite & Dia- mond Statement Ring, a 9-carat yellow gold ring set with a large 1-carat moissanite and several small champagnes and white diamonds. In a gorgeous 9-carat rose gold, the Morganite Signet Ring is set with diamonds on either side of the central stone, while the Moissanite Sol- itaire Pendant is designed in the rare mineral moissanite and 18-carat gold. Earrings consist of Sapphire Statement Makers, lab sapphire and moissanite in 18-carat gold or Long Earrings, T he passing down of knowledge and skills to the next generation hasn’t been completely lost in modern days. Susannah King trained as an apprentice goldsmith and studied at the British Academy of Jewellery, completing diplomas in Jewellery Manufacture and CAD/CAM. “I spent time working in my father’s small countryside workshop, serving his clientele,” she explained. “Eventually, I began designing commission pieces for them and made my own work. This was the solid foundation on which I started my career.” The creative said whilst her father inspired her to make jewellery pieces, she rarely sketched out solid designs until she had a steady flow of clients. “I would just let whatever was in my head guide my hands.” Today, Susannah works in the same manner, preferring to construct her jewellery. “Sketching is only important to me if I need someone else to sign off on the design. I love just creating straight from my mind, and I work best that way.” As a third-generation goldsmith (her father is a master goldsmith and her grandfather a goldsmith), she uses a traditional craftsmanship skill set to fabricate jewels entirely by hand. She also adopts the modern sustainability and responsible sourcing philos- ophies and is known for her signature sustainable colour- ful, bold gemstones. Her namesake brand, which she launched in 2018, is also the first vegan jewellery brand in the UK. Its jewel-