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Lora with the pin she has designed for Prince Charles

Lora designed a pin for Prince Charles

Designs on royalty

By Sarah Loat

Jeweller Lora Leedham has just won a Prince's Trust Award and has designed a handmade engraved gold pin to present to the Prince of Wales.

Lora Leedham is still relatively new to the jewellery business, but thanks to a Prince's Trust grant, she set herself up in the historic Jewellery Quarter and has quickly made a name for herself with her handmade, ethically produced contemporary jewellery.

Lora recently became the first Prince's Trust young ambassador in the West Midlands and is celebrating winning the prestigious regional Prince's Trust Award for Enterprise:

"My name came up and I don’t remember much after that - I was floating. I heard my name and - wow! I'll represent the Midlands in the National Award - 11 regions will go down to three and those three will go to the national awards in London in spring next year."

Lora with her award from the Prince's Trust

Prince's Trust Award

"Being an ambassador means I explain how the trust has helped me and what I've done. I'll be telling people my story. I'm also on the panel that awards grants. It’s a Dragon's Den style pitch where you bid for money, but it's strange because now I'm on the other side listening to people who were in my position!"

Fit for a prince

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Princes Trust, Lora designed a necklace for Camilla Parker Bowles in 2006, and this year she's designed a pin for Prince Charles, which she'll present to him in November.

Gold pin for Charles, Prince of Wales

"I wanted to create some form of jewellery which he could wear on his tie or lapel. So I designed this pin. It's quite formal - 9 carat gold - which I've hand engraved with the prince's emblem. It took absolutely ages! I had to have lots of patience.

"It is quite conservative looking but that’s the aim I went for, it couldn’t be too flamboyant as it will be worn to formal events. The engraving alone took about four hours, the detail is quite intricate."

Lora uses ethically sourced gemstones

Posh jewellery

Lora uses ethically-sourced gemstones and conflict-free diamonds. Her work is inspired by nature, something that has appealed to Highgrove House, which is the official residence of the Prince of Wales.

"Highgrove invited me down to look at my work and want to use some in an exhibition at Highgrove House and Clarence House."

Lora's handmade, unique jewellery

"I will go down to the gardens at Highgrove and get some inspiration from a certain flower, for example, and come up with an exclusive range which will be stamped with 'Highgrove' and sold there. Posh jewellery now!"

Lora is keen to develop her ties with the royals and would like to produce designs for other members of the royal family;

Prince's Trust Award

Funky

"I'd like to go straight to the top and design for the Queen and perhaps one of the younger members - like Beatrice and do something a bit less formal this time - do something wacky and funky."

Despite the credit crunch, business is flourishing for Lora, and she plans to open her first retail store - Love Handmade - in Stratford-upon-Avon before the end of the year:

Lora individually handmakes jewellery

"I've been lucky that the credit crunch doesn't seem to have affected me too much, but I've scaled down some of my work to give people a choice and make it cheaper. I've produced 'mini' versions of some pendant designs, and also removed gemstones from others to give people a more affordable option.

"I'll be selling my designs in the store, and I'll also have other jewellers, a glassmaker and a ceramacist. It'll be boutiquey and all handmade. It's very exciting - with the award, the visit to Highgrove and now opening my own boutique - wow - it's all a whirlwind at the moment."

last updated: 24/10/2008 at 19:31
created: 24/10/2008

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