About

Welcome to Thula Jewellery,

My name is Jessica and I am the founder and owner of Thula Jewellery.

 

I live in Somerset West, just outside Cape Town in the Western Cape, South Africa with my husband & our beagle baby and daughter, little Harper.

About me …

My passion for hand-forging jewellery started when I began my first apprenticeship
in 2008. Even although I had studied jewellery design & manufacturing, there are
many differences between studying this work and actually manufacturing.

I slowly began to develop my passion for hand making fine jewellery and I grew to
love everything about the process. However, it was not until 2010, after setting
up my own studio that I began to really think about what it
was that I wanted to make and the type of jewellery that I myself would love to wear.
I then began to fully realize and appreciate just what I could do with my tools,
equipment and my two hands.

 

I found working for myself liberating and grew to find new energy and motivation -
which I continue to build on every day.
I immersed myself in sketch ‘doodle’ books and in my workshop. During this time I
made many mistakes and did not quite know what I was doing much of the time but
found this exciting and realised that I was learning so much. On reflection I have
become a much better and more confident jeweller through this.

I got my start on selling online through my Etsy store, which was a great launching platform. (My Etsy store is aimed at international clients - mostly in the US.)

As I have been trained by a number of professional goldsmiths and also had the
opportunity to explore different genres on my own, I have grown to really appreciate
fine jewellery, but more important to me I have also developed a love for the
imperfect. I understand the concept of fine jewellery and can deliver what the
client wants in terms of a fine jewellery piece; however I also appreciate the
character of and what is unique about a rustic (roughed up, “unfinished”)
piece of jewellery — no two pieces are the same with each having its own
distinctive and characteristic ‘battle wounds’ which to me is unique and beautiful.

Jewellery does not always have to look perfect and identical to the one made
before it. Perfection can very easily become boring. I like to celebrate
imperfection through my rustic jewellery pieces.

As I continue to work, explore and grow I will in the future offer pieces in gold,
platinum and palladium …
For now, my appetite for “the shiny” is satisfied through working in silver which
also allows my jewellery to be affordable and within the easy reach of many.

I love doing custom work .. creating something special and unqiue for a client.

I have worked for clients in Japan, Switzerland, Norway, Canada, America, Greece,
Thailand, Germany, Belgium, Australia and South Africa, and many are ‘repeat clients’
which for me is the biggest compliment to my work.

 

instagram : www.instagram.com/hellothula

etsy store : http://www.etsy.com/shop/hellothula - for international clients.

email me : mail@hellothula.co.za