Coutts Woman

Dazzling Diaz

If you received some statement jewellery for Christmas this year, chances are it came from Stephen Webster - the UK’s Luxury Jeweller of the Year in 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2005. 

Since stepping into the spotlight seven years ago, Webster hasn’t stopped accessorising celebrities, opening new stores and launching designer collections since.  Flip through any magazine these days and you’re likely to happen across some. 

Cameron Diaz wore his pieces to the film premier of ‘In her shoes’, Sienna Miller, Charlize Theron, Sharon Stone and other top actresses are regularly photographed with it, and Christina Aguilera won’t wear anything but Stephen Webster – especially for her big appearances at the Grammys or MTV Music Awards.

But it was Madonna who really brought Webster to the fore back in 2000 when she commissioned him to make her and Guy Ritchie’s wedding bands.  “It had a huge impact on people’s interest in my work and led to more and more editorial and association,” the 46-year-old admits.  “Now, there isn’t a week when we’re not dealing with some kind of high profile person wearing our jewellery.  It’s a great way of communicating what we do to people across the world.”

On becoming this big, Webster puts it down to being in the right place at the right time.  “For 23 years, I was a good jeweller, making nice jewellery, and nobody knew about it.  Then, we sort of made a conscious decision that we were going to let people know.  And I think we were just ahead of the jewellery explosion.”

By explosion, Webster means the influence of fashion designers and fashion houses on jewellery – most of who began developing accessory collections as an extension of their brands.  Before that, he says: “Jewellery was a very fragmented, family-run business.  It wasn’t any way like the fashion business it was about to become.”

“I didn’t have any grand ideas about being a jeweller, I knew I wanted to go to art school and that it was one of the possibilities”

So far, however, few fashion houses have had an impact on Webster.  “Maybe Dior fine jewellery and Chanel.  Gucci has also developed its collection to a certain level.  They originally had what I thought was very poor quality jewellery, it was just iconic but nothing to do with nice jewellery.  Now, if you’re looking for a gold chain, you might look at a Gucci one.  So they’ve done a pretty good job.  It’s a mixed bag otherwise.”

The impact of the fashion industry has also led to increasing demand for new jewellery ‘collections’.  “It was never like that before.  Now, like everything, to create the desirability, you need to keep bringing new things.  And that has to do with trends.  So I’ll be looking at the big trends, like fashion designers, several years ahead.  Colours will have to tie in with fashion, and the way people are wearing things.  It has become very much like that.”

As with fashion designers, Webster is fast becoming an icon himself – designing Pink’s wedding ring and being invited as a guest to Christina Aguilera’s wedding last year .  He, of course, doesn’t see himself as anything of the sort. 

Hailing from Gravesend, at the age of 16, Webster attended a jewellery and silversmith course at art school.  “I didn’t have any grand ideas about being a jeweller, I knew I wanted to go to art school and that it was one of the possibilities,” he says. “But jewellery just fascinated me.  It was very much the making of it that I loved.  And some years later, I developed a style and went much more into the design side.”

After completing his training, he worked for several London design houses as a craftsman (including De Beers), did a two-year stint in Canada designing and producing for a small independent jeweller, and then four years developing his bold style in California, Webster returned to the UK in 1988. 

“Back then, it was impossible to sell my sort of jewellery in the UK.  Jewellery was all tied up with emotional purchases such as engagement rings, wedding rings, and eternity rings rather than being fashion products.  And fashion was all I did,” he admits.

To get around this, he continued focusing on his US market until, slowly but surely, his collections began provoking intrigue and acceptance in the UK.  These days, he’s thriving, having expanded his empire of independent boutiques and 50 concession stores (spread across Seoul, Moscow, the United States, Hong Kong, Korea and Japan), with three new stores in Kazicstan, Dubai and St Petersburg last year.

And there’s even bigger plans for 2007 with a concession area opening at Harrods in February and his flagship store, a 1,000 sq ft space, set to open on Bruton Street in the latter half of this year.  “My job is definitely exciting.  I’ve done the same thing for 30 years essentially but my job couldn’t be more different now from back then,” he enthuses. 

The ‘difference’ over the last few years has been worldwide travel – something that excited him at first and is now beginning to wane.  “For 2007, I’m trying to get the balance between travelling and creative right,” he says.  And with a focus on the UK and London over the next year, let’s hope his new year’s resolution comes true.

Further information

For more information on Stephen Webster and his jewellery, call 020 7486 6576 or click on www.stephenwebster.com