Shine of the Times

Trinket supremo Louise Stokes is taking on the fine jewellery world with her own collection.

Choosing your signature jewellery can be a tricky task. After all, the pieces you wear every day should reflect the many sides of your personality, fit with your ever-growing wardrobe, and land somewhere in the middle of trendy and timeless. Not exactly a simple feat.

But, if you’re anything like us, there’s always room in your jewellery box for something a little bit special, so when our favourite Dublin jewellery hub, Loulerie, decided to launch a fine jewellery collection, we got a little bit giddy.

?Loulerie jewellery is really a fusion of fashion and elegance, influenced by my time working in fine jewellery in New York and my travels to Paris and Copenhagen,? says Louise Stokes.

Louise is known for stocking emerging and cult jewellery labels like Alexis Bittar, Fiona Paxton, Gorjana, and Zoe & Morgan, which have had Irish customers clamouring for her stuff for years.

She’s one of those smart businesswomen who saw a gap in the market in 2007, and just broke the mould, and has been going at full pelt ever since. ?The trend in fashion jewellery hadn’t really happened here when I got home from New York, so I wanted to offer the Irish market something new.?

Joanna Laura Constantine Dangle Pearl Earrings, €249

Over the years, the bespoke jewellery side of the business grew, as well as remodelling people’s jewellery, sparking Louise’s desire to create something with her own creative stamp.

Working in a jewellery design house taught her an appreciation of the whole design process, while listening to customers? specifics through the years means she has a grasp on what they want, how they wear the pieces, and what length pieces should be to sit with the clothes they wear.

The result is a collection with three themes, all handcrafted by Dublin Goldsmiths in 9 carat gold: dragonfly, teardrop, and the personalised initial or script pendants. Each piece is dainty and delicate, in keeping with the brands already in the store.

?I wanted the collection to be aspirational, but affordable; fine jewellery will last a lifetime, and is worth investing in, but I want to offer an opening price point, as it’s all about starting a collection and building relationships with the buyers over the years.?

With the charm line, you can start with a teardrop pendant or initial disc, then add a star, a diamond or hand-engraving. ?It’s a gorgeous way to give a gift, as you can keep adding for every occasion.?

It’s safe to say, the best things really do come in small boxes.

Loulerie jewellery is available at Loulerie, 14b Chatham Street, Dublin 2, loulerie.com.

Sive O’Brien @SiveOB