Jewellers Academy Podcast

Award-winning jewellery designer Kathryn Reid joins Kelly to share how she turned inspiration from her family farm into a distinctive jewellery business with customers around the world.
Kathryn talks about finding her way into jewellery making after initially planning to study photography, beginning university without any previous jewellery experience and nearly dropping out when she felt behind the rest of her class. She explains how the freedom of her final year helped her find her creative direction, discover her love of wax carving and develop work inspired by the animals, landscapes and memories of her Northern Irish home.
After returning from travelling in 2020, Kathryn decided to give her jewellery business a proper go. Her first TikTok video, showing the making of her cow ear tag earrings, reached around 1.3 million views. As her audience grew, orders began arriving from around the world, and redundancy from her retail job gave her the push to take the business full-time.
Kathryn also shares the personal stories behind her sculptural animal nose rings, including the childhood dog who inspired the first design. She talks honestly about managing demand when collections began selling out, the pressure of limited restocks and how tariffs and changing customer behaviour led her to create a steadier and more sustainable way of selling.
In this episode, you will learn:
• How Kathryn found her way into jewellery making and developed her own creative style
• Why wax carving became the central technique in her jewellery practice
• How personal memories and life on the family farm inspire her designs
• What happened when her first TikTok video reached 1.3 million views
• How she managed growing demand and international jewellery orders
• Why she moved away from limited restocks towards a more sustainable business model
• What Kathryn learned from trying to outsource parts of her production
• Why she continues to finish every piece of jewellery herself
• How she has adapted to Brexit, US tariffs and rising precious metal prices
• Why growing a successful jewellery business does not have to mean building a large team
• Kathryn's advice for anyone considering training as a jeweller
• The importance of recognising challenges, learning from them and celebrating the small wins
Kathryn and Kelly also discuss product photography, creating social media content, winning awards at the Goldsmiths' Craftsmanship and Design Awards and Kathryn's ambition to take her jewellery to an international pop-up or exhibition.
 
Find Kathryn and her work
https://kathrynreidjewellery.com/
@kathrynreidjewellery on Instagram and TikTok
Learn jewellery making and grow your jewellery business with expert online courses, diplomas and support from Jewellers Academy at jewellersacademy.com.

Gemstones are at the heart of so many jewellery designs, but how much do you really know about them? In this episode, Kelly Twigg is joined by award-winning gemmologist Marie Chalmers for a fascinating conversation about diamonds, coloured gemstones and the science behind them.
Together they explore what gemmology is, how diamonds are graded, the differences between natural, lab-grown and recycled gemstones, and why understanding the stones you work with can help you become a more confident jeweller. Marie also shares practical advice on sourcing gemstones, working with suppliers and building your knowledge throughout your jewellery career.
If you're just beginning your jewellery journey or have years of experience, this episode is packed with insights you'll be able to apply to your own work.
About Marie Chalmers
Marie Chalmers is an award-winning gemmologist with over 20 years' experience in the jewellery industry. Through her business, Chalmers Gems, she specialises in responsibly sourced gemstones and diamonds while sharing her passion for gemmology through education and industry expertise.
Find out more: https://chalmersgems.com/
About Jewellers Academy
Jewellers Academy offers online jewellery making and jewellery business courses, from beginner workshops to one-year professional diplomas, helping jewellers develop their making skills and build successful creative businesses. Find out more at www.jewellersacademy.com.

Have you ever wondered how jewellery collections come together? Where do the ideas come from? How do they develop into cohesive designs? And how do you create work that people instantly recognise as yours?
In this episode of the Jewellers Academy Podcast, Anna Campbell is joined by jewellery designer, maker and Jewellers Academy mentor Elin Horgan to explore the creative process behind designing a jewellery collection.
Elin shares how she finds inspiration in architecture, why she gathers ideas long before she starts designing, and how she transforms simple geometric shapes into timeless jewellery collections. She also takes us behind the scenes of using CAD and casting, planning a professional brand photoshoot, refreshing her visual identity and building a recognisable style that has evolved over years in business.
If you're just beginning to design your own jewellery or you're looking to create a more cohesive collection, this conversation is full of practical advice and inspiration.
In this episode, you'll discover:
How to gather inspiration without forcing creativity
Developing a cohesive jewellery collection from one central idea
Designing with production and manufacturing in mind
When outsourcing can strengthen your jewellery business
The value of professional photography when launching a collection
How branding evolves as your jewellery business grows
Why your signature style develops naturally over time
 
About Elin Horgan
Elin Horgan is a jewellery designer and maker based in Bristol. Inspired by the geometry of architecture, she creates understated contemporary jewellery in recycled silver and gold using traditional silversmithing techniques alongside wax carving, CAD and casting. Elin is also a Jewellers Academy mentor and tutor on the Diploma in Wax Jewellery.
Find Elin:
Website: https://www.elinhorgan.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elinhorgan
Discover more jewellery making courses, workshops and the Jewellers Academy community at:
https://www.jewellersacademy.com

Christmas might still feel a long way off, but if you want your best sales season yet, now is the time to start preparing.
In this episode, Jessica Rose shares a practical six-month plan to help handmade jewellers build towards a successful Christmas. Rather than trying to make, market and sell everything at once, you'll learn how to spread the workload across the coming months so you can stay organised, avoid burnout and maximise your sales.
Jess covers:
How to set a realistic Christmas sales goal
How much jewellery you need to make to reach your target
When to focus on making, photography, marketing and selling
Simple ways to prepare your website and email marketing
Why planning ahead leads to more sales and less stress
Whether your goal is £3,000, £20,000 or even £100,000, the same principles apply. Start with a clear plan, work backwards from your sales target and give yourself plenty of time to prepare for your busiest season.
Free Christmas Planning Resources
Ready to put your own plan together? Enrol on our free 20K Christmas in Your Jewellery Business course to watch the video lessons and download your free Christmas Sales Planner.
https://jewelleryschoolonline.teachable.com/p/how-to-have-a-20k-christmas-in-your-jewellery-business

What does it really mean to train as a goldsmith today?
For generations, the traditional route into the jewellery industry was through an apprenticeship, spending years alongside an experienced goldsmith, learning techniques, repairs and bench skills through observation and practice. But apprenticeships aren't always accessible, and many jewellers today are looking for a more flexible way to develop those same professional skills.
In this episode, Jess is joined by Anna Campbell to explore why Jewellers Academy created The Goldsmith Series with Master Goldsmith Michael Lynton, and how it offers a modern alternative to a traditional apprenticeship.
They discuss what apprenticeships were really like, why repair skills are becoming increasingly valuable, how jewellers can build confidence at the bench and why learning how an experienced goldsmith thinks can be just as valuable as learning individual techniques.
In this episode, you'll discover:
What a traditional jewellery apprenticeship involves.
Why apprenticeships aren't the right fit for everyone.
The story behind The Goldsmith Series.
How Michael Lynton's 60+ years of bench experience shaped the programme.
Why jewellery repairs are such an important skill for modern jewellers.
How The Goldsmith Series differs from project-based jewellery courses.
Who the programme is designed for and what you can expect.
 
Learn more
Find out more about The Goldsmith Series and learn directly from Master Goldsmith Michael Lynton:
https://www.jewellersacademy.com/the-goldsmith-series