Why Jouella Jewellery?
Jouella Jewellery was born from my quest to find a purpose as a young woman, unsuited to University or the 9-5, due to my Autism.
Born and raised in Northumberland, I have always loved it’s beauty and history. I frequently take solace in the stunning coastline and breath-taking beauty of my surroundings. From a young age, I've been creative and loved crafting things. At school I excelled in Product Design. It was a natural step for me to develop my talent for crafts into a business. With the help & support of the Princes Trust, I became a Silversmith and setup my business. I combined my passion for designing, my love of Northumberland and my unique qualities as an Autistic woman. I predominately use seaglass in my creations, which I collect from the coastline of North East England. I love the colours and shapes of the glass and how each piece is uniquely shaped by the sea.
Why Jouella?
I combined my name with the old French word for Joy, Jouel + Ella.
Each piece of jewellery is handmade with love and I hope it brings a little piece of joy to you.
Autism
At the age of 13, I was diagnosed as being Autistic, after struggling for many years. Having a diagnosis allowed me & my family to research, understand and embrace my differences and forge my alternative version of the norm. I experience the world in a different way to 'neurotypical' people, which can be a blessing and a curse in equal measure. I can come at a problem from a unique angle and can focus on minute detail. I have a photographic memory and amazing power of recall. I hear everything at the same volume (no ‘background music’ for me) and I also have Synesthesia. This is a sensory ‘cross-over’ which activates two or more senses at the same time. When I hear music I see colours and I see people as shapes, all very normal to me but confusing for others when I describe the "yellow song" or the "triangle lady". The world can be a confusing and overwhelming place for me so I love the peace and calm of working from my own home with the "help" of my two cats, Margo and Theodora.
Responsibly Sourced
Locally Made
Sustainability
I use recycled silver and only buy from reputable UK suppliers with accredited processes.
I try to minimise the use of plastics in my packaging and I'm always looking for more eco-friendly material.
The glass I use in my jewellery is all hand picked by me from the various beaches along the North East coastline, and has been smoothed by the sea naturally. In the 1800's several local glass factories would dump their waste glass into the local rivers, where it would be washed into the sea. Sometimes, if I'm lucky, I find some of these beautiful pieces or a rare piece of blue.
I aim to remove a bag of rubbish on every trip to the coastline. It is disappointing how much rubbish people leave behind but heartening to see other people doing the same on occasion.
I do not use 'tumbled' glass.
