I was inspired to be creative from the very earliest age, and encouraged by my artistic Danish mother.  I think the cosmopolitan life I have lead helped inspire me to design jewellery which is perhaps a little different from predictable styles, and which has proved popular with my international client base.  Design is such a subjective process and having such a wide artistic reference has made my outlook much more open.  I look at a stone as a possibility, a way of turning something from the earth into something which speaks in a very personal and emotional way to the person who wears it, and loves it.

I look at two strong women who have served as great influences on me:  Joan Bernstein of Browns in South Molton Street, London and Annabel Astor of Jones in Beauchamp Place, Knightsbridge.

After school I worked in France, Spain and New York.  On my return to England I worked with the legend Joan Bernstein. Working at Browns gave me an understanding of the basics of retailing.  It was not only a good eye and an unerring sense of style which counted, but also sound knowledge of buying, selling and stock control.

Later, I started as a junior at Annabel Jones Jewellers, where I learned PR, technical work such as pearl stringing, and also selling and buying the exquisite jewellery.  Many years later I was allowed to design pieces – it was a true apprenticeship, which is the best way to learn a craft.  This was without doubt the perfect training for me, and was enhanced by several gemmology courses.

Wonderful as it was working with Annabel, I still longed to be able to develop my own range of jewellery and create individual pieces in my own distinctive style.  It was a great challenge but I decided to start really small, reducing the risk so that I could concentrate my energies on the creative process.  I started with a small amount of stock, and initially invited friends and family to come to shows – at first in my own home, a small house in West London.  Word of mouth really is a very effective way of launching such a business and the client base steadily grew. 

I started attending trade shows and charity events, always within the correct target market for my jewellery, which was a useful way both of getting direct feedback about my designs from potential customers (after all, friends and family are always kind!) and also of building my client list in a cost effective way.  There is nothing like meeting your clients in person to start building a rapport and so many people I met at shows went on to become regular and valued customers.

I have always been a great believer in value for money.  Pieces of jewellery should be worn, enjoyed and not left in the safe.  I take pleasure in re designing estate pieces, taking something old which has been neglected and bringing it to life and daily use again. Fashion is so much more informal today that heirloom pieces are often just not worn.  I am happy to remodel these pieces – this may involve breaking them down and after extensive discussion with the client, using the stones in a more contemporary way that will suit that individual client’s lifestyle.  I take real pleasure in giving clients a new piece of art from an old one and believe that these are the future classics.  A client’s delight in being able to wear something which had just languished in a safe before makes the design process doubly enjoyable!

 Special commissions are challenging but I enjoy doing them as my design skills are put to the test and it is key to listen to what the client is looking for rather than following my own train of thought exclusively.  I am lucky to have several excellent workshops which I work with closely and they advise me on the intricacies of assembling items. Of course one of my favourite commissions is engagement rings.  There is nothing quite like working with two very happy people in my studio, discussing their ideas for a piece that will be worn forever and is a symbol of their commitment.

My jewellery is mostly made in 9ct Gold with semi precious stones. I also work with Sterling Silver and I use 18ct Gold, which brightens up the Silver.  When my clients have loose stones I can set these in my’ KC’ designs pieces which is a cost effective way of using stones.   Perhaps my favourite loose stones I have been given to work with have been some Rubies and Sapphires, rather than the large Diamonds, as I feel they have more character.

My special commission work has meant that I have met some famous people. These are my clients and they trust me so I am unable to name them – it would be a betrayal of the confidentiality which I value so highly.  I learn a lot about my client’s lives in order to design a piece that will fit into their life style. I do get a thrill out of seeing my pieces photographed on my clients in magazines – there is no better endorsement as it proves how much they love and wear the jewellery. It is also a pleasant surprise to see pieces that I designed perhaps 20 years ago – Vintage Kristina Charrington!

The ‘KCollection’ website is my shop window and it has become a more and more useful way of communicating. Future and current clients enjoy browsing my website; I have all my current and past collection on the site, so there is a huge range of jewellery to study.  I do sell a certain amount of stock direct from the website which is easy for both myself and my customer.

I still have a stand at several charity shows around the country, I also print a colour brochure which has my latest ‘KCollection’ professionally photographed. From both the website and the mailing I get many calls for appointments to discuss my designs. The mailing list is kept up to date and is the back bone of my business, I have built this up over my 20 years of selling and it is extremely important.

One day, I would like to find someone who would like to take on ‘KCollection’, someone who has the same ethos as I do. I have built a successful business and I know that it can continue succeeding.  It is run with low overheads, and this has no doubt helped me weather past and present recessions. I have loved every minute of creating my business, I have worked with expert craftsmen, I have met fascinating people and have created affordable jewellery with a certain elegance.  It is a very rewarding way of life!

People are kind enough to say that my style is “affordable & contemporary, but will not alarm traditionalists”!