Emily Copp is a jewellery designer and owner of Emily Claire Jewellery studio based in St Lawrence specialising in eco friendly silversmithing methods.

Emily is a local Jersey bean living with her husband and her energetic little boy. In her spare time she loves to do yoga, travel, rock climb and paddle board around this beautiful island.

Emily, Can you please share with us your journey into becoming a jewellery designer?

My love of jewellery started when I was very young, I always loved being creative and used to like beading and would love to make friendship bracelets and necklaces for all my friends and family. After a break for a while, it wasn’t until I was searching for my engagement ring with my husband that he suggested we go to a jewellers to get it custom made.

As soon as we walked in the door I was so inspired by watching the jewellers craft their bespoke designs at the bench that this ignited my imagination which led to my desire to learn silversmithing at local night classes at Highlands college and I was gripped.

While working in the finance industry for a very long time, I wanted to do a job I loved and that made me happy so I decided to train at London Jewellery School in Hatton Garden for an intensive Diploma in creative jewellery design before starting Emily Claire Jewellery in 2019. I always love to learn new skills and last year while I was on my maternity leave I completed a Diploma in fine jewellery design.

What drew you specifically to eco-friendly silversmithing methods, and how do you incorporate sustainability into your design process?

When I first started my business I wanted to make it as sustainable as possible, I’m always conscious of how we leave our footprints on this world and as much I love making jewellery, I wanted to make sure I was making a good impact for the environment.

All my jewellery is created from recycled eco friendly silver which is an eco-friendly alternative to standard Sterling Silver, produced from 100% recycled scrap from the giftware, jewellery, medical and electronic industries. Nothing goes to waste in my designs and every off-cut and silver dust from filing will be melted down and added into new designs.

My designs include hand selected semi-precious gemstones that I only use the highest quality AA and AAA ethically sourced from reputable local British suppliers.

Lastly my jewellery is lovingly hand wrapped in recycled boxes or linen bags that have been hand stamped, every element of my packaging is 100% plastic free made from recycled materials and can be recycled again, even my business cards are made from recycled T-Shirts!

How do your love of traveling, climbing mountains, and the outdoors influence your jewellery designs? Can you give us examples of how these inspirations are reflected in your work?

I’m drawn to using organic shapes in my jewellery designs and choose gemstones which have a unique shape and colours. My designs are heavily influenced with my favourite gemstones turquoise and Aventurine. I love that they remind me of the ocean and my travels.

I also love to include little details in my designs, my first ever collection was called climbing where I used the figure of 8 or “infinity loop” as most people know it. This represents the knots you tie in when climbing paired with ukinite jasper gemstone which is very similar to our Jersey granite. When I’m outdoors I get very inspired to sketch designs I see and always carry a sketch book with me, you never know what might inspire you!

Your jewellery pieces are described as having a “fresh simplicity and refinement in design.” Can you elaborate on your design philosophy and aesthetic preferences?

We’re all guilty of buying a beautiful statement piece of jewellery that gets worn once with a particular outfit and then goes in the box never to be picked up for a few years. My designs are fresh and simple so they can be worn with multiple outfits all day long and a perfect addition to your jewellery box which gets worn time and time again.

Keeping my designs with a fresh simplicity and refinement in design means they are timeless and look good on their own or can be layered up with other pieces to give a different feel to your outfit. I love to use texture in my designs to create that handmade feel, I do this by hammering the silver and create this mirrored effect that shines off every facet or adding granulation. These are tiny silver bubbles that are carefully soldered one by one.

What advice would you give to aspiring jewellery designers who are interested in pursuing a similar path, especially those who are passionate about sustainability and ethical practices?

Go for it, I held back as I didn’t think there was a right time to start my own business. It’s challenging, but I’m so glad I took the leap. My jewellery designs have progressed so much since starting, and I would never have had the opportunity to do this before.

If you want to have a sustainable business researching your products is key to find out where they are originally soured from. There are so many companies that do greenwashing making you think their products are sustainable but have nothing to back this up.

Please can you share with us what does your typical working day look like?

Apart from starting with a cup of tea, I like to start my day working on any emails/queries I’ve had overnight and then work on my orders and commissions for the remainder of the morning. My afternoons are for creative work either sketching designs and creating pieces towards my new collection.

We are curious to know what your favorite piece of jewellery is that you wear every day.

It would have to be my engagement ring which I designed with an Asher cut sapphire and small diamonds on a platinum ring band. I’m really inspired by the art deco period and love the clean lines and simplicity in design. This is my favourite piece as it sparked my love to start creating jewellery.

What do you enjoy most about living in Jersey?

It’s such a beautiful island, especially in the summer when it’s lovely and green. You can go and explore the north coast cliff paths and enjoy the beautiful beaches.

What are some must-visit places or hidden gems in Jersey that you would recommend to visitors?

Beauport bay is one of my favourites, it’s a bit of a trek down to get there but the crystal clear water is so inviting. I love to take my paddle board from the next bay along, St Brelade’s Bay and paddle out there exploring the coastline.

Can you share with us your thoughts on the local cuisine in Jersey? Are there any favorite dishes or restaurants you would recommend?

We are lucky to have so much choice of restaurants for a small island and spoilt for choice of fresh seafood and shellfish. My favourite would be the local spider crab with fresh Jersey Royals, there is nothing better than sitting outside and enjoying the sunshine. I have so many favourite restaurants but if I had to choose it would be the Salty Dog at St Aubin’s.

Emily is currently crafting a new collection featuring stunning turquoise and aventurine gemstones, set to launch next month. In the meantime, feel free to explore her current collections on her website www.emilyclairejewellery.com