Trend watch - Artisan jewellery

The face of the jewellery market is changing. More and more women are looking for jewellery that is unique, handcrafted and special, turning away from high street retailers and mass produced fashion jewellery to items that speak more to them about who they are.

It’s not all arts and crafts and WI – there is a whole new breed of women (and men) making exciting and affordable beads and jewellery, from their homes and home-based studios all over the country and selling via new online craft sites such as Etsy.com and Folksy.com as well as from their own websites, such as didihandmadejewellery.co.uk.

DiDi handmade jewellery is made from some of the world’s loveliest semi-precious stones in designs inspired by the East Anglian coast and countryside. Maker Didy Ward, says: “I live on the Suffolk/Norfolk border and have the best of both worlds: the gentle Suffolk countryside and genteel coastal towns of Aldburgh and Southwold, as well as the wild North Norfolk coast and the serene beauty of the Norfolk Broads to inspire me”.

Didy’s jewellery collections are arranged around themes: Seascape, which includes moody blues and sea-greens, Dune, which includes picture jaspers and yellow jades, as well as the famous fool’s gold – pyrite, Landscape – with rose red rhodonite representing the famous Suffolk Pink cottages as well as he sky blues of celestite and chalcedony reminiscent of Norfolks big skies. Beach Hut is a collection of more colourful pieces and for sophisticated evening wear there is the Snape Maltings collection.

Visit Didy’s site at didihandmadejewellery.co.uk.