We’re India & Jack, and together we make up India Mee Jewellery, a business with an ethical practice at its core.
Jewellery holds so much sentiment and lasts a lifetime which is what makes it so special and the reason why we both fell in love (not just with each other!) with designing and making jewellery for people.
All of our pieces are made in our cosy workshop in Bristol. Read more about us as individual jewellers below!
Jack
I didn’t discover my passion for working with metal until a bit later in life - I got my degree in graphic design, having always known I’d wanted to do something creative, however even after finishing my degree and my dissertation on sustainable packaging, I still wasn’t sure what that was. I quickly left home for a bit of an adventure.
After selling my car for a plane ticket I left for the south pacific to live as a deckhand on boats and work my way around the world. I was lucky enough to see some spectacular places and equally amazing wildlife. It was during this time that I really began to appreciate how wonderfully incredible our planet is, and how much it matters for each of us to do our part in protecting it. This is when I started to draw inspiration from the natural forms I saw in the world around me.
After returning home I started building a creative portfolio, and in that process began to play with resins and metal powders. I met India, a jewellery designer in Bath at the time, who introduced me to the world of precious metals and gemstones. After weeks of evening courses and work experience, I became a junior jeweller in a contemporary jewellers in Bristol. It was there that I really started to learn the required skills needed to make jewellery.
And now India and myself have created our own ethical jewellery brand, the next exciting chapter in my life.
India
As clichéd as it sounds, my love of jewellery began when I was a child. I used to make beaded necklaces and earrings which I sold in the local village shop and donated the profits to Water Aid - I remember being very chuffed because I had enough to buy a well!
Jump forward 10 years and I was in London studying a BA hons degree in jewellery and accessories. One of the pieces I made for my final collection was an elaborate silver pair of glasses with interchangeable lenses.
My jewellery making skills were learnt throughout my degree, as well as from a talented jeweller in Frome I spent a year working with in her workshop. I’ve also spent time working for a Jewellers in Bath as their bespoke jewellery designer, refining my design skills.
Recent qualifications have included a professional jewellers diploma, JET 1 and JET 2 certificates, awarded by the NAJ (national association of jewellers) qualifying with an A grade in both. The courses improve your jewellery knowledge in a huge range of areas, from gemstones and diamonds to hallmarking and metals.
I wrote my dissertation at university on fairtrade and fairmined metals, so creating a business with ethics at the forefront has always been a dream.
