It was the perfect balance between fine art and fashion.

I have always been interested in Biology. Both my parents have scientific backgrounds and I’m very inspired by dad’s work for NASA. I’m fascinated in the link between the advancement of technology and art. I wrote my dissertation on consilience which literally means ‘the bringing together of knowledge from different disciplines’.

I went to an exhibition called Super Human which was about human advancements. I remember that someone had predicted that by the year 2050 humans will leave planet earth and live in space – this really stuck with me and became the starting point for the collection. I decided to create acrylic jewellery that encased everyday objects from our lives on earth today that could be preserved and taken into space in the future. Through this I also wanted to do a ‘social exploration’ as in the UK especially there are really strong social classes. I was taking elements that I thought belonged to different social groups and created a satirical take on social types, for example in one necklace there are really kitsch cut stones, acrylic hair and chewing gum which was evocative of a particular social subculture. I also create some upper class earrings with a rare cameo and tiny little diamonds.

The bag has become the centre piece for the whole collection as it really captures everything I wanted to address and represents several different social groups. The bag is ready to be taken into space by this future traveller!

It was really amazing. Swarovski is a really good example of technology and art coming together because they discovered a novelty way of cutting crystals that can be applied in design and art. They have a really huge customer demographic with their crystals and gemstones being used in high-end couture to a pen that would appeal to young children, so it seems apt to have collaborated on this piece.

I love wearing black so I like statement or unusual pieces. I have never worn my own work before but I will be from now on.

To see Collection 2050 visit Central Saint Martins degree show between the 18th – 23rd June.

I fell in love with perfume when I was six or seven years old when my mother came and gave me a kiss goodnight. It was that simple. She was going out for dinner and I just remember this wonderful scent, her face powder and this image of a gold lame dress, back-lit in the doorway of my room. I think it was at that moment that I was put on this path and I’m lucky because I walk a path I know I was born to live. Of course I had no idea that there were such things as perfumers but I used to spend all my pocket-money on little bottles of perfume.

I was offered a job by Guerlain when it was a family house owned by three cousins. At that time Guerlain was like the Vatican of perfumery; being part of it opened every door in the industry. I worked with Jean Paul Guerlain who was the greatest perfumer working and living at the time. In 2001 I started my own business; I opened the first haute perfumery in the world alongside creating bespoke perfumes for my customers. In 2011 I launched the Roja Parfums range. We don’t advertise; we spend the money on what is in the bottle. Some of the raw materials I use cost ten times the price of gold!

My mother also influenced my love of jewellery. She had the most enormous collection — a few pieces of which I now own. When she went jewellery shopping she used to take me with her and one of the first things I learnt from her was how to look at diamonds. She used to say ‘how many colours can you see darling?’ When my mother died I saw a diamond ring with spectacular stones. It was something I knew she would have loved – exactly what she would have bought had we been together and so I bought the ring in her memory.

Under the right light they are the most brilliant and the most dancing stones I own.

I have a pair of cufflinks made from earrings that my mother would have worn for lunch or a casual supper. For a more formal occasion she attached a spray of diamonds that clipped in. I also have a sapphire and diamond ring that is very special to me as it was the clasp from her pearl necklace that could also be worn as a brooch. I was sitting looking at it and decided that it should be a ring. What the jeweller managed to do is astonishing; he has been so empathetic towards the shape of the original piece of jewellery. I love this piece and on it feels quite papal!

The scent reckless was inspired by a line I saw in a book describing a woman who said ‘reckless maybe, foolish never’. I imagined this woman who always is impulsive, always followed her heart, took risks but never allowed herself harm. I had this idea of her sitting in a theatre in a half-light with a wonderful low neckline with a huge shimmering diamond necklace. I translated this by using an aldehyde that makes all the other ingredients shimmer. There is also a very strong reference to my love of jewellery in the gold against white branding for Roja Parfums which comes from my love of yellow gold.

People talk about stones having energy, but when you sit and look at a diamond they are absolutely hypnotic. The most decadent thing I own is a diamond that came from a woman’s engagement ring. I became totally mesmerised by the fancy emerald cut so I bought it and had it placed in a simple, strong, masculine setting. If you look you can see absolutely totally into the stone as it is as clean as a whistle inside. Anyone who knows my work will recognise it to be the inspiration for the crystal caps that my bottles are recognised by. If you are out and you ever see a woman get a bottle out of her bag, you will know it is mine because the crystal caps will catch your attention.

Anyone who knows me will know that jewellery is very much part of who I am. Jewellery for me is always about a person, place or marking an event. When we opened our first concession in Bergdorf Goodman I bought a piece to celebrate that. When the twin towers fell down I flew out to New York and went down to that part of town. There was one old rickety jewellers left standing and it had a closing down sale. I went in and bought a quirky cheap pendant with little green diamonds because I thought there was something quite fabulous about this old shop that survived this hideous event. I had the diamonds set into an existing ring to remind me that there was hope when the world nearly came to an end. We all love things for very different reasons. For me I love the life a piece of jewellery has had and the life it has with you.

There are a couple of reasons. Firstly you don’t smell with your nose, you smell with your brain. It is an old wives tale that your skin can alter the perfume. You may like something on a friend but when you smell it on yourself you do not. That is because it is like putting someone else’s personality on. Think of red lipstick – it is such a personal thing for a woman and you can only wear it if you feel comfortable. The same goes for a piece of jewellery. The second reason is we are all so seduced by marketing – often perfumery does not live up to the promise, marketing creates a boulevard of broken dreams. Once you find a scent that works for you it will never let you down.

Scent should be selected with the eyes tightly close and your mind wide open. Perfume is caressed with your sense of memory. Jewellery on the other hand – you need to hold, touch, feel and look at with your eyes wide open.

We have been delighted to be working alongside LoveGold over the past few months and honoured to be giving you an exclusive look ahead of tomorrows show, of the piece made by London-based designer Hattie Rickards that has been specially commissioned by LoveGold. We visited Hattie’s studio to hear first hand about the design and production process and inspiration behind the bangle and what it means to Hattie to be taking part in such a legendary event.

When I was nine I made a green friendship bracelet for my brother! Other than that, my first piece with thought was a recycled copper ring I designed at college that I hammered into shape – my style has refined with time!

I have always been enthusiastic about jewellery – this started at school and developed when I studied jewellery design at Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design. I was so grateful for my place on the course that I didn’t skip a day of college! Following this I spent five incredibly fascinating years working for another great British jewellery designer – Solange Azagury Partridge, before branching out on my own. I wanted to create a brand that was 100% British, 100% handmade and 100% fair-trade.

The fair-trade aspect of the business has been there from the beginning. I saw a niche in the market for creating luxury jewellery that was responsibly produced. I met my makers through trying to source fair-trade gold because they were one of the first fair-trade licensees. I was one of the first designers to be a licensee and for that I am immensely proud.

I first started working with gold on my degree course at Central Saint Martins albeit in small quantities. However, as soon as I began preparing to launch my namesake brand I knew that gold, particularly yellow gold would be my material of choice.

I love the warmth against people’s skin and its ability to enhance a wide variety of colours and stones. Working with gold brings my designs alive and allows me to create something deeply desirable. Everyone always comments on the incredible finish of my work which is due to my designs being handmade in Britain. If it is given the perfect finish, no other metal is as luxurious and precious looking as gold.

A highly valuable and precious medium which empowers people, brings happiness to the wearer, symbolizes relationships, holds precious stones and embellishes… something that we all should have respect for.

The inspiration came from one of my most celebrated designs called the Strata Ring. The focal point is the dynamic enamelled baguettes which have become a signature style of my brand. The cuff continues the theme of ‘connection’ in my work, this time inspired by the concept of ‘bridging the gap’. I wanted to create a cuff that was bold yet elegant and sophisticated and would speak for itself at the fashion show.

The initial designs were hand drawn. Once the final design was approved I built a technical render and CAD model on the computer. From this we were able to produce a 3D model in wax that was then cast in gold. The piece was then finished and polished in preparation for enamelling which is the final process.

I would personally wear it pushed half way up my forearm as the positioning makes it stand out. I love the idea of someone being able to wear this everyday and I always design my jewellery with that in mind as gold doesn’t have to be limited to special occasions. Having said that, this piece has been designed to be a show-stopper and is meant to catch the eye.

I am blown away by it and so happy to be contributing towards Cinema Against Aids because it is such a fantastic cause. The World Gold council is an amazing organisation and I am delighted to be part of LoveGold.

The live show with stream tomorrow at UK 8PM / NY 3PM / LA 12PM. To get a reminder to watch the show click here.

In Collaboration with LoveGold.

I have always loved magazines. When I was little I was obsessed with mum’s World of Interiors and Vogues; the words, the pictures, their luxurious glossiness and the way they smelt. After a theology degree and a few fashion internships I was offered a beauty placement at Sunday Times Style and immediately realised that was what I wanted to do. I was then lucky enough to get an assistant position at Vogue for nine months and from there I went to Grazia. So really it was element of chance and lots of evening and weekend work to pay for my internships.

I’d say make sure you are using oils – They are my favorite thing. Not only do they smell incredible, they are brilliant for your hair, face and body. I mix a couple of drops with my face and body moisturisers for an overnight skin treat and apply hair oil to the tips of my hair pre blow-dry to condition, de-frizz and add gloss too.

Beauty shoots, are detailed by their very nature, with close-up shots of the face, ears, neck and hands, so jewelry often features. We tend to look for graphic, oversized pieces which won’t get lost against the detail of the look.

My style is very low-key and quite tomboyish – being comfortable and cosy is essential at all times. I like to save up classic, timeless pieces that I know I’ll love for ages. I am out and about at appointments a lot and constantly hopping on and off the tube, so though I love wearing heels my trainers and boots are far more tempting and easy. Most of my jewelry is very delicate which I hope adds a bit of girliness to my overall look.

Definitely the Poppy Dandiya rings that my mum gave to me for my 18th birthday. They were her favorite thing at the time and so it meant a lot to me when she decided to give them to me. I cried when I opened the package as I felt so guilty, but I have worn them pretty much every day since. A family friend owns an amazing jewelry workshop in Lewes, East Sussex which has sold Poppy’s rings for years. We were at a party not long ago when he noticed them and said that he had never seen two of Poppy’s rings in such an ‘evolved’ state. Perhaps I have worn them too much – they have come with me all over the world.

It definitely wasn’t a conscious decision, but now it’s become a bit of a thing. Some I have bought for myself but others have been given to me. It’s good to look down at my fingers when I am typing away and remember what really matters.

That’s such a hard question. I love Poppy Dandiya, Elizabeth Gage, Zara Simon, LeiVanKash, Daisy, Alice Eden and I could probably go on forever…

To see the full feature or for similar features on other designers working with gold visit LoveGold. To see more of Fernando Jorge’s jewellery visit his website.

Music is Window Seat by Portico Quartet

My high school was for students who wanted to go on to art school so I studied a bit about design and sculpture there. When I graduated I went to hairdressing school and became a DJ but accessory design was something I always wanted to do someday.

I only DJ during weekends and holidays and it is always at night so I have a time during the week and daytime. They go hand in hand as music and fashion have always been pretty connected for me.

My collections are always based on what I’m into at that time. For my latest collection the theme is MADEMOISELLE GANGSTA!

Hmm… it’s kinda different from any other jewellery brand. My brand GIZA expresses myself.

I have a couple of pieces that are sentimental to me. One is a Chanel vintage necklace from my mum and the other is the first piece I ever made for Giza.

Our website is under construction now but it’s gonna restart very soon! Giza is also available at Fake Tokyo.

The beauty and allure of these pieces speak for themselves but actually wearing these pieces for the night gave me an even greater appreciation of Fernando’s incredible attention to detail and understanding of how jewellery relates to the body. The ring was the unbelievably comfortable to wear and despite its size had an incredible unexpected lightness to it. The earrings which feature Fernando’s trade mark snake chain had the most wonderful movement and I had such fun showing other guests how they could be looped up to create a hoop and a completely new look.

Miroslava Duma never lets us down as far as her jewellery is concerned. Last year it was all about her statement necklaces and this season it was a combination of bracelets that caught our eye.

To see more of Miroslava’s jewellery style click here.

Move over chandelier earrings because this season it was all about hoops, ear cuffs and studs. That’s right; because stacking and layering your jewellery is no longer limited to hands, arms and necks. A friend recently asked me ‘do you think it’s a bit sixteen-year-old to get another piercing’ to which the answer was a resounding NO! No longer are multiple piercings an act of teenage rebellion; in fact they have been creeping their way onto the runways and the ears of the fashion elite with a fresh, delicate and sophisticated edge.

Long gone are the days when men’s jewellery was limited to a single wristwatch or signet ring. We were delighted to see that it was not only the woman who had their gold on display. These two dapper-gents certainly caught our eye with their wonderful attention to the finer details against the backdrop of their tailored attire.

Statement, singular, stacked, simple or covered in stones – you name it, we saw it as it was a case of anything goes! Ok not anything but we were spoilt for choice with all the gold rings we spotted outside the shows. Despite the fact that we do see jewellery trends come and go the underlying reason for wearing a piece of jewellery is often so personal and this resonated strongly with the individual designs that adorned the fingers of these fashionable girls.

Someone recently commented on how well the textures of leather and gold complemented one another and it seems these stylish ladies have spotted that too. Leather continued to rule the runway this season; with biker connotations taking on a softer feminine feel. A splash of gold against your leather jacket will give a killer-combination that is sleek, sophisticated and utterly timeless.

The ‘Juste un Clou’ needs little introduction because this iconic piece is still as striking as it was when it was first launched by Cartier in the 1970’s. Described by Cartier as ‘the expression of a rebellious nature and the reflection of self-belief’ this bent nail design gives the perfect edge to any fine jewellery collection.

In collaboration with LoveGold

Follow them on twitter, facebook and instagram to keep up to date with the latest gold trends

I have always made stuff. I’ve done lots of things previously from mould making and electroforming to apparel – my wife and I made clothes and belts in funkier times! I have been in this building ever since I started my own model-making company years ago now!

We made industrial prototypes and models for films and advertising; this was pre-computer so everything had to be made by hand. We worked on really exciting big-budget projects which meant we could experiment with unusual materials but it was really demanding so we worked 24/7. The night before the deadline for a particularly challenging Professor Weeto campaign, the model I was working on fell apart. Instead of trying to mend it, I took an axe to it! At that moment I realised I had to give it up. It had become too intense and I had lost the creative freedom you have when you work for yourself.

At first it wasn’t just jewellery. I made a bird feeder, a stool that looked like an over sized nail, a spiral corkscrew, four rings and a pair of skull and cross-bone taps. At the same time I was doing small promotional runs and wholesale products for companies like Dell, Paperchase, Paul Smith and Bathing Ape and we had a retail outlet in John Lewis. It was so diverse and I fast realised it wasn’t going to be sustainable as I was working on huge projects from this studio and paying London salaries and overheads. Apart from designing and making, which I love – I realised that having a British studio, where I could work and train a team of people was the most important thing to me so I withdrew from everything else and decided to concentrate on our own jewellery brand.

It was a slow start because I had come from a very money-rich environment of model making. I also suddenly had to think about making things that would last – it didn’t just need to be finished on one side and look good in a photograph.

Computer aided design has allowed me to carry on designing whilst I run the business. I used to sculpt the prototypes by hand which is very time consuming. I use a computer sculpting program which is much more fluid than early CAD programs which is good as you want to avoid your designs being restricted or led by the technology. The other advantage is you can email the file to a client and show them exactly what a piece is going to look like. I remember the fax machine arriving and think WOAH! Now if I’m creating work for people abroad I can just whiz it over and it looks real – I love it.

I don’t think it is dying if you have the in-house studio set-up that we have here. Yes, if you are designing stuff on CAD and just shipping it off to Thailand then I think craft probably is dying but here we use a real mix of old and new skills. All the old skills like stone setting are still done here; in this studio.

Last year we created a neckpiece for the film Snow White and the Huntsmen. It was made up of lots of individual components that I sculpted digitally and was able to scale to varying sizes. It was a lovely process because we had to assemble it using a lot of model making techniques which the workshop weren’t aware of. It was nice for me to be able to pass that knowledge on.

We were commissioned to create a piece for Johnny Depp’s Barnabas Collins character in Tim Burton’s film Dark Shadows. It was really successful and whilst on the film set I met Colleen Atwood, the costume designer who does all Tim Burton’s films. She was also working on Snow White at the time and commissioned me to create a collar for Charlize Theron who was playing the evil queen. Colleen is great – I really like her. She came in to the studio with a scribbled fashion drawing with a and a box of beetles saying ‘I want a collar based on bugs.’

Working with another bunch of creatives is great – it’s very liberating. Stepping out of our comfort zone of making traditional rings and bracelets was very inspiring. It led me to create our latest collection ‘beneath the leaves’ as I thought that the bug forms lent themselves really well to jewellery.

We had to make it less extravagant as it has got to be commercial but I wanted to have some fun with it so I have created some pretty over the top pieces. I have used three elements to build up the collection, a branch, little leaves and the beetle. It is inspired by our great British woodlands and celebrates the dark and glamorous appeal of the incredible stag beetle and the natural beauty and history of the chestnut tree.

(1) All by Maria Francesca Pepe including open square cuff (2) Angela Scanlon wearing Alex and Ani charm bracelets (3) Topshop (4) Otto bracelet by Moxham (5) Jewellery Designer Shourouk wearing her own design (6) Rings by Yunus and Eliza (7) Necklace by Sarah Angold