UKFT Rise – Founder Feature with Jennifer House Jewellery
11/04/2022
Meet Jenny House, 37, founder of Jennifer House Jewellery, an ethical jewellery brand reflecting on childhood memories.
Read Jenny’s feature with UKFT Rise below:
Company launched in: 2020
My background is in… jewellery production and development.
I decided to start my business because… I worked for corporations for a number of years so I wanted more joy in my life, which I hope you can see through my whimsical designs celebrating nostalgia. I also wanted to illustrate ethically minded jewellery need not always have a boho vibe, it can be conveyed in a more contemporary manner.
Something that really helped in getting my business off the ground is… just plain and simple: motivation and perseverance. If I don’t do the work, it doesn’t get done and I don’t move forward.
An area of business I’d like to gain more knowledge of is… marketing. There is just so much to consider, so many avenues to work on. With Instagram for example I hate the fact you have to play the algorithm, rather than posting something organically.
Three important qualities for an entrepreneur are… well I wouldn’t class myself as an entrepreneur yet, it’s early days. Ask me in a few years.
A UKFT Rise subscriber I find inspiring would be… Iseabal Hendry. I think the UK has so much skill to be proud of. I’m all for using traditional techniques in new and exciting ways and making the actual piece in the UK!
Something happening in the industry that’s inspiring me right now is… seeing us jewellers club together to help support the Ukraine.
A change I’d like to see in the industry would be… greater transparency with reference to ethics and sustainability. There’s a lot of greenwashing out there!
Can you elaborate about the inspiration in your work? Sure, as mentioned, I wanted to bring a little more joy to my life so what better way in doing so than to delight my inner child by creating colourful designs inspired by whimsical nostalgia such as sticks of rock candy as a treat whilst on holiday, or rock pools; exploring the textures and treasures found within them. Going bespoke has to be the icing on the cake, celebrating your own concept of what will bring a smile to your face.
What are your achievements and how have they shaped your career? I’ve been really fortunate to work for some of the UK’s finest jewellery houses each with different design styles. It was fun to see how they all worked, how they were similar and how they were different. Under the guise of those designers I have been responsible for million-pound jewels, creating pieces for royalty and VIP’s, crafting items for movies, ornate boxes to delicate wine glasses. All a great experience from which to start my business from.
I define sustainability as… I prefer the term ethical as then it’s more inclusive of both people and environment. Even more so; I prefer the term ethically minded as I believe no person or company can be 100% ethical and sustainable as technologies are constantly evolving hence we can always improve our standing. An ethical or sustainable company for me is one that always looks to do better, for constant improvement. For me, it’s not just the metal or gemstones I use but it’s my packaging, the gas and electricity I use to make the jewellery, or the display I use at events, treating people how I want to be treated along the way, while also trying to help those in the third world improve their standing by using Fairmined Gold and ethical gemstones.
Do you have any exciting news to share for 2022? Of course, but I can’t tell you yet. Stay tuned to my newsletter or Instagram @JenniferHouseJewellery for more.