STEPHEN WEBSTER.

English eccentricity and American iconography, wildlife, the high life, literature, theatre and pop culture, the ocean and the animal kingdom; these are just some of the inspirations and influences that fuel Stephen Webster’s creative engine.

Combining a love of fine craftsmanship with a passion for music, fashion and art, Webster’s keen eye for detail, flair and wild imagination have secured him unique status in the contemporary jewellery world.

With reference from William Blake to Jules Verne, Webster’s enthusiasm, commitment and talent as a master jeweller of consummate skill, style and audacious verve have helped him to achieve numerous accolades. These include a three-time win of the ‘British Luxury Jeweller of the Year’ award, ‘Diamond Jeweller of the Year’, ‘Jewellery Designer of the Year’ and ‘UK Jewellery Brand of the Year’.

Webster was bestowed with an honorary Master of Arts degree from the University of Creative Arts in 2007 for his outstanding contribution to the arts and also holds the honour of being a liveryman of the City of London. In January 2013, he was awarded an MBE in the New Year Honours list or his services to training and skills in the British Jewellery Industry.

“It’s an exciting thing- the young, fashion crowd no longer fits into a particular set. They are, more often than not, unexpected and unpredictable. I
like this and feel, in some small part responsible
for the shift.”

ETHICALLY SOURCED

Throughout a four decade-spanning career, Webster has always been an advocate of ethically sourced material, travelling to mines in Tanzania and Peru to meet the mining communities and trace the origins of the precious materials he uses in his work. He is now an ambassador for Fairtrade and Fairmind Gold and works closely with Forevermark Diamonds, the world’s most carefully selected diamonds.

“We were amongst the first group of jewellers in the world to be awarded a Fair Trade Gold license',” says Stephen. “We worked for three years to achieve this; our team took a trip to the gold mines in Peru that would be benefiting by working within the fair trade practices. We saw with our own eyes the difference it made to miners and their families’ lives. Ethically-sourced stones and gold are very important to us”. Now with a workshop and design studio in Mayfair and flagship stores on London’s super chic Mount Street and in Beverly Hills, Stephen Webster is widely considered to be one of the international scene’s most accomplished and exciting designers.

In recent years his company has expanded globally with close to 200 points of sale worldwide including the United Kingdom, United States, Russia, Dubai, Japan and Hong Kong. Recasting the role of the contemporary, luxury jeweller as an artist and forward-thinking designer rather than a mere artisanal technician, Stephen Webster’s approach has always been one of glistering synergy. With fashion and jewellery as dazzling and devastatingly glamorous co-conspirators, each luxurious aesthetic in Webster’s collections celebrates traditional skills and great British craftsmanship.

“Over the last ten years things have changed,” Stephen explains. “Jewellery has become not just more fashionable itself, but also hardwired to the wider fashion industry. This has attracted a new crowd into our world, people who probably wouldn’t have been around when things were more staid, unadventurous and less acknowledging of trends. The fear factor, the reverence, the rules and formality around jewellery have all but disappeared. It’s an exciting thing - the young, fashion crowd no longer fits into a particular set. They are, more often than not, unexpected and unpredictable. I like this and feel, in some small part, responsible for the shift”.

Thanks to:

Stephen Webster
StephenWebster.com