Stephen Webster
is the ultimate diamond geezer. From a modest start in the Thames
estuary town of Gravesend, near London, he has attracted some of the
entertainment world's most alluring glamorous clients and established a
loyal continually evolving, global customer base and in honour of his
enthusiasm, commitment and creativity, has achieved several clean-sweeps
in the jewellery trade's glittering prizes.
Four-times 'Luxury
Jeweller of the Year' in 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2005, 'Jewellery Designer
of the Year' in 1997, 1998, 2000 and 2006. He is a freeman of the
city of London.
But while the jewels in Stephen Webster's beautiful pieces may be
exquisitely multifaceted, his vision has always been singularly
focused.
With magpie-like tendencies apparently hardwired into his DNA,
Webster's love of things that shimmer and glisten found him attending a
Jewellery and Silversmith course at Medway College of Design aged just
16.
During that very first term Stephen found himslf fired up with a
passion for jewellery design and craftsmanship that remains at the top
of his professional agenda to this day.
What makes Stephen Webster
such an effortlessly contemporary, unconventional but persistently
relevant star in the fine jewellery firmament is the way the designer
cleverly blends a love of traditional craft values with his innate love
of contemporary music, fashion and modern, rap 'n' roll street styles.
It's a unique and edgy approach that has been some 30 years in the
making.
Meanwhile, his unassailably stellar celebrity client roster continues
to grow at pace. The past few years have seen Stephen fashioning
beautiful, one-off pieces for the likes of Madonna, Sharon Stone, Kate
Moss, Jennifer Lopes, Cameron Diaz, Pink and Christina Aguilera.
He’s
also made mens jewellery for Elton John, Jay Z, Ozzy Osbourne, Johnny
Depp, Nicholas Cage and Michael Stipe.
Thanks to
Stephen Webster's
influence and passion, the men’s market has become a key area of
growth.
With his Stephen’s industrious talent he has helped coloured
gemstones and fine jewellery back into the fashion zeitgeist and has
been a key player in attitudes to jewellery.
"Things have changed" he says. "The
fear factor, the reverence and the rather staid formality have all but
disappeared. Magazines now have fashion shoots featuring cheap H&M
jeans worn with £5000 diamond rings. Having a diamond-studded accent to a
watch or a piece of jewellery no longer marks a customer as a flashy,
ostentatious type. It just makes a person look more…lively."
Stephen's History
After completing his training under Tony Shepherd, a former Prime
Warden of the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths, Stephen worked as a
craftsman for several established London design houses.
Amongst many
highly regarded commissions was the honour - on two occasions - of
setting the De Beers Diamond Stakes Trophy.
In 1982 he moved to Canada to set up and run a small studio designing
and producing for an independent jeweller. After returning briefly to
the UK in 1984, Stephen could not resist the opportunity to move to
sunny California where his bold style, employing unusual and exotic
gems, continued to take shape with the help of an open-minded and
enthusiastic audience.
Confronted by resistance to his bold and
colourful style of jewellery in the UK, Stephen continued to focus on
his market in the USA. Slowly but surely collections such as ‘Jungle
Fever’, ‘Crystal Haze’, ‘Thorn Noir’ and ‘Attention Seeker’ provoked
intrigue and acceptance for the British designer that followed no trend.
In 1988, Stephen returned to London to establish the company that is
now known as Stephen Webster Ltd.
Now, with one of the largest
jewellery manufacturing and design studios in London’s West End, Stephen
Webster is widely considered to be one of the international scene’s
most accomplished and exciting designers.
His company has expanded
worldwide with independent boutiques in Seoul, Moscow & St
Petersburg and over 50 concessions in the United States as well as
Dubai, Hong Kong, Korea and Japan. More stores are planned for the
former Soviet Republics in the near future.
info:www.thornjewellery.co.uk
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