About the Designer: As a veteran craftsman of goldsmithing and jewellery making in the UK, over my 42 year career I have seen the industry boom but at the same time opportunities to acquire the skills required to continue the long history of excellent craftsmanship on the home shores, have dwindled. In response, a group of us, all passionate about the craft side of our industry, formed the Leopards.

The inaugural awards gala, in association with The Princes Trust was held at the Goldsmiths Company hall in the autumn of 2017, celebrating and drawing attention to the incredibly creative jewellery industry which exists in the UK.

As a result, we have been able to offer mentorships to four young people from The Princes Trust who had hoped to enter the trade but for various reasons had not managed to enter the university degree courses which have become almost exclusively the only pathway to the industry.

About their Leopards Award winner: Hannah Jackson

Hannah, under the mentorship of Stephen Webster MBE, was keen to turn her winning, London inspired design into reality. The pendant, reminiscent of the London Underground logo has simple lines meaning that the metal piece had to be executed perfectly with no place to hide. Under the keen eye of Trevor a 40 year veteran bench jeweller, Hannah executed all the stages herself, including a complicated long drilling procedure, requiring absolute accuracy which enables the central section to spin.
Hannah thoroughly enjoyed her three months mentorship with the SW team. She plans on using the skills learned as an introduction into a career in jewellery manufacturing.

London Underground by Hannah Jackson

The piece I made is a rose gold vermeil London Underground inspired spinner pendant. The piece has a geometric hand engraved design on the front, inspired by another iconic piece of London – 'The Gherkin' and has been set with 6 diamonds, to represent the glass in the Gherkin. The shape of the pendant has been inspired by the TFL London Underground logo, with the bar remaining static and the ring, spinning. I love jewellery that is kinetic which is exactly what this piece is. The brief was to create a piece of jewellery inspired by the City of London and there is nothing more iconic than the London Underground and the Gherkin.

The best part of my experience at Stephen Webster has got to be learning with the country’s best jewellers while also getting to pick Stephen and Justine's brains! Highlights would have to be watching Trevor work, he is extremely skilled and no two jobs he does are the same. I was expecting skilled craftsmen but these jewellers are the absolute masters of their trade which I don’t think I was expecting.