MANAGING DIRECTOR AND HEAD DESIGNER

“What is your favourite watch of all time and why?”

The steel Rolex Daytona (black dial) was always a watch I aspired to own and it is still my favourite watch. It is a watch I get pleasure out of wearing as it reminds me of the effort I have put into being able to own one. I am fortunate to own many watches although the one that means the most is a Raymond Weil Parsifal that my dad gave me for my 21^st Birthday.

“What watch are you currently wearing?”

I am currently wearing a brand new Rolex Submariner with the updated ceramic bezel. I think this watch will become just as desired as the previous model. I personally feel the changes Rolex have made to the Submariner and GMT II are definite improvements.

“What’s your favourite gemstone and why?”

 Diamonds are without doubt the gemstone I enjoy working with the most. I still find it hugely exciting every time I open a parcel of diamonds for the first time. Sometimes just one diamond out of a hundred stones will stand out and demand my attention with its sheer brilliance. That’s when the creative juices start to flow and I start to imagine the stone in a piece of jewellery. I doubt that I will ever tire of searching for diamonds.

What’s the most exciting piece of jewellery you’ve ever been involved in designing and why?

I am fortunate to have designed and made jewellery for many of my friends and these often prove to be extremely rewarding. One piece of work in particular was a real pleasure to do as it involved an engagement ring for two of my closest friends. The design brief was to create a stunningly elegant diamond solitaire in platinum. I was buying diamonds from New York and was fortunate to find a stunning D-colour 2.00ct brilliant cut which was perfect for the ring I had designed. You know when the bride to be is wiping away tears of joy that you’ve done a good job!

The unveiling of an individually designed piece of jewellery for a customer is always a truly special moment, but when that customer is also a close friend the pressure, expectation and emotional rewards are intensely magnified.

“Describe Stoners in three words”

Professional, focused, fun.

“What’s your current favourite iPhone app?”

I always check the Sky News app before going to bed and first thing on a morning.

“In another life or another era, what would you have been?”

I would have been a fighter pilot, in my opinion the most exciting job in the world. My dream is to take a flight in a fighter jet. I am hoping Sarah reads this and gets a flight booked for my 40th.

“What three items would you have with you on a desert island?”

My iPod with a set of speakers, some ice cold beers and a very large container full of books.

“Where are you at your happiest?”

With very good friends, enjoying delicious food and wine with lots of laughter, preferably somewhere warm and beautiful.

MARKETING DIRECTOR

“What is your favourite watch of all time and why?”

That’s a difficult one as I get to see some of the most stunningly sophisticated and beautiful watches in the world. I personally love the steel Lady Date-Just with a pink dial, as my girly fascination with the colour pink is something I’ve not yet grown out of. I’m also a little in love with the Patek Phillipe Ladies’ Nautilus.

For Chris I love to see him in a steel Submariner Anniversary. It’s the watch Chris wore when we were married and I think it’s classically elegant and sophisticated.

“What watch are you currently wearing?”

The steel Lady Date-just with pink dial.

“What’s your favourite gemstone and why?”

Natural pink diamonds are just exquisite; and they’re pink which helps! We had a 1.02 carat round brilliant natural pink diamond designed into a ring for a customer and it was stunning!

“Describe Stoners in three words”

Family. Quality. Integrity.

“What’s your current favourite iPhone app?”

I’ve only just upgraded my phone to an iPhone so it’s all a bit new to me right now, but the thing I’m enjoying the most at the minute is downloading songs wherever I am and whenever I want.

“In another life or another era, what would you have been?”

Ooh, good question….A vet. I always wanted to be a vet when I was little and then changed my mind when choosing my A-level subjects at school. That’s the serious answer. The other answer and the one that I only usually admit after a few glasses of wine is a professional ballroom dancer! To be whirled around the floor for a living would be magical.

“What three items would you have with you on a desert island?”

An endless supply of yoghurt covered raisins, red wine and my amazing family. Perfect!

“Where are you at your happiest?”

It’s a little boring I know, but it’s at home. My beautiful kids safely tucked up in bed and a home-cooked meal and a bottle of red with Chris. Life doesn’t get much better than that.

MANAGER & DESIGNER

“What is your favourite watch of all time and why?”

My Raymond Weil Shine watch. I’d wanted one for ages and then on my last “big” birthday (my 21^st that is) my hubby came up trumps. It was a complete surprise and one he’s not yet topped!

“What watch are you currently wearing?”

My RW Shine. I love it!

“What’s your favourite gemstone and why?”

The Hope diamond with its unusual rich blue hues, it is quite simply captivating. Plus I love its intriguing and mysterious history.

What’s the most exciting piece of jewellery you’ve ever been involved in designing?

On a personal level it has to be my engagement ring. I absolutely love it and completely adored designing it from scratch. There’s nothing quite like seeing something develop from an initial pencil drawing to a stunning piece of jewellery. I think I was just as emotional and as overwhelmed as our customers are when they first see their designs in the flesh. It’s truly a “Kodak-moment”.

From all the designs I’ve been involved in one of my most memorable was a simple yet very elegant string of black Tahitian pearls for one of our regular customers. They were truly stunning and due to the design changes we’d made throughout the process we ended up with quite a few left over. I had them made into a matching bracelet for my customer completely free of charge. She was absolutely delighted and although this wasn’t the most creative piece I’ve designed, being able to offer that service made it one of the truly memorable ones.

“Describe Stoners in three words”

Quality. Excellence. Friendly.

From my own point of view I find my job fun, interesting and challenging.

“What’s your current favourite iPhone app?”

Easy…Solitaire. I’m obsessed with trying to constantly beat my last ‘best time’

“In another life or another era, what would you have been?”

A wealthy aristocratic, BBC costume-drama-type, lady-of-the-manor. I’m talking diamonds, pearls, corsets…the whole shebang! I’d love to get really dressed up – we don’t seem to take as much pride in ourselves as we used to and I think it’s a shame.

“What three items would you have with you on a desert island?”

My art kit, my husband and a magic lamp (complete with genie)

“Where are you at your happiest?”

On the Amalfi Coast with my hubby – it’s where we honeymooned.

DESIGNER

“What is your favourite watch of all time and why?”

The ORIS Pro Diver Date, it was my first quality watch and I had it for 6-7 years – I simply loved it.

“What watch are you currently wearing?”

Seiko Velatura Direct Drive. The only automatic watch with 30 days power reserve and less than a second missed per day. You can wind it just like the old mechanical watches and instantly see the power reserve you’ve fed it. I’ve grown strangely attached to it, as it feels a bit like feeding and taking care of a family pet!

“What’s your favourite gemstone and why?”

Tourmaline for the variety of extraordinary colours and combinations while the price remains approachable, allowing designer and customer together to create exceptionally beautiful pieces.

What’s the most exciting piece of jewellery you’ve ever been involved in designing and why?

I’ve been lucky to be involved in the creation of several superb pieces of jewellery but there are two worth mentioning.

The first is one I designed for a famous London store. It was a 45ct diamond bracelet of superb quality with over 70 stones set on platinum. It was a stunning piece, of astonishing value.

I define art as fine creative work that was not made to order, neither to be sold, but simply made to reflect the creator’s secret imagination. My most favourite piece was just that; a small piece of art, not jewellery. It was a large showpiece brooch the size of a child’s palm and was called “Fleur de mer” as it was inspired by the grace and movement of deep sea anemones. It was platinum and set in the middle was an 18mm AA black Tahitian pearl, and a few tiny diamonds on the edge of the spiky leaves to represent water droplets. Simply fabulous! It was created purely to enter the prestigious Tahitian Pearl Trophy. It was a winning piece in the UK and went to the worldwide competition to win the third prize. The funny thing is that it went on display to several international jewellery shows and it took more than a year before it was returned to me!

 “Describe Stoners in three words”

That is difficult, I give five: quality, ethos, style, family, friendship.

“What’s your current favourite iPhone app?”

The iPhone is good but Android on my “Nexus one” is better with my favourite app being Google Sky Map…basically, just by pointing my phone to any star on the sky it gives me the name. It works with galaxies, planets….I have hours of fun with my kids on clear nights.

“In another life or another era, what would you have been?”

I would have loved to be an explorer but I am sure that I was a cat!

“What three items would you have with you on a desert island?”

I should say a knife, a lighter and a fishing kit but on second thoughts I would go for a six pack of cold Kronenberg 1664, some salty peanuts, and a large sofa on the beach.

“Where are you at your happiest?”

With lots of good friends and loved ones around me it doesn’t matter where I am – they make me happy.