Susi Smither, Founder of The Rock Hound, has been crowned Creative Jewellery Designer of The Year at the UK Jewellery Awards 2024. She fought off stiff competition from 6 other shortlisted for the prestigious title. This is the second time Susi has won a gong at the UK Jewellery Awards – having secured the New Designer of the Year award back in 2017 just two years after launching The Rock Hound. Judges recognised Smither for “creating a brand that combines artistic flair, a commitment to sustainable business practices and a love of gemstones.”
The winners of the nationally recognised UK Jewellery Awards 2024 were revealed in a glittering ceremony on 26th June at Old Billingsgate in central London.
Now in its 32nd year, the UK Jewellery Awards, organised by leading jewellery and watch industry title Retail Jeweller, and dubbed the “pinnacle” and “Oscars of the jewellery industry”, is the longest-standing and one of the most prestigious jewellery and watch trade awards event, established in 1992 to recognise the achievements of those working in the jewellery and watch sectors.
Attracting almost 600 people each year, the Awards returned to Old Billingsgate last night, Wednesday 26th June, where the winners of this among other categories was announced during a gala dinner.
There were a record number of entries received for this year’s awards, which with 20 targeted categories cover every aspect of the industry, from jewellery design and ethical business practice through to customer service and successful retailing.
These were then reviewed to come up with the final category shortlists and winners.
Ruth Faulkner, Managing Editor, Retail Jeweller, said: “This year’s UK Jewellery Awards saw over 600 guests join us for a night of celebration at the iconic Old Billingsgate venue on the banks of the River Thames. We received a record number of entries for this year’s event and our judging panel had an incredibly difficult task deciding on the eventual winners. Congratulations must go to all of our shortlisted finalists and, of course, our winners. They must be applauded as the leading lights in our sector and really are the very best in the business.”
The Awards are independently and impartially judged by a carefully selected panel of industry experts, who this year are:
David Allen, Head of Ecommerce, Dinny Hall
Charlie Betts, Managing Director, Betts Group & Co-Founder Single Mine Origin
Cynthia Cartwright, Commercial Director, Wongs Jewellers
Chloe Cozzi, Sales Director UK & Ireland, Wolf
Melanie Eddy, Jewellery Designer and Educator, Melanie Eddy
Helen Gibb, Director of Product, Signet Jewelers
Lorna Haddon, Head of Bridal and Jewellery, Beaverbrooks
Kevan Jenkinson, Sales Director, Hockley Mint
Andi Lee, Managing Director, ChloBo Jewellery
Andrew Lewis, Head of Sales, Hot Diamonds Group
Eric Macaire, Executive Director, Global Buying & Merchandise, Watches of Switzerland Group
Ben Massey, Principal Officer, National Association of Jewellers
Naomi Newton-Sherlock, Director, Domino Jewellery & Weston Beamor
Zoe Nicholls, Senior PR & Communications Manager, Rotary
Anne-Marie Reeves, Chair of the Goldsmiths’ Craft & Design Council and jewellery industry marketing consultant, Goldsmiths’ Craft & Design Council
Leanne Rogers, Director, Sarah Layton Jewellers
Carol Sinfield, Wedds & Co
Jos Skeates, Director, EC One
Alison Skeates, Buying Director, EC One
Andrew Sollitt, Sales Director, Domino
Rachael Taylor, Freelance Journalist
Gareth Thomas, Sales & Marketing Director, Brown & Newirth
Melanie Wakefield, Director, Wakefields
Gary Wroe, Managing Director, Hockley Mint
The UK Jewellery Awards have a two-stage judging process. In the first round, in order to be in with a chance of being shortlisted, designers had to respond to all of the questions on the entry form and submit images of their jewellery made within the last year.
The Rock Hound new collection HotRocks ALCHEMY
This in-depth application delved into the creative process of each designer, from their training right through to the pieces they’d created over the last year, such as locking in a tighter and more responsible supply chain, through the use of recycled silver salvaged solely from medical X-rays. With a full calendar over the last twelve months – including participating in two London Fashion Week runway shows, joining Selfridges’ roster with La Maison Couture and winning two awards during Milan Jewellery Week – Smither was able to share insights into what’s driven the brand over the past year and the focus which has helped enhance the profile of The Rock Hound.
The next stage of the judging process was the shortlisted applicants were interviewed by Retail Jeweller’s select panel of industry judges back in May 2024, when they presented 5 pieces of jewellery and talked through the design process of each.
The judging process is such that it ensures that no one judges a category in which they have a vested interest, neither will competing business be judging one another. All judging takes place under Chatham House Rules and all judges sign an NDA. The final decision on winners is made by secret ballot and no judge leaves the room knowing which business/individual has won. This judging process has been honed and perfected over the last 32 years, ensuring the fairest and most robust way of deciding on the winners of these important industry awards.
Sponsors of the event include Betts Group, Hockley Mint, Pursuit Software, Single Mine Origin, Studex, TH March, Windiam and WOLF. The National Association of Jewellers is the event’s official supporter.
Charlie Betts, Managing Director, Betts Group & Co-Founder Single Mine Origin and headline sponsor of the Awards said, “I’m really pleased to see Susi win this category. It has been amazing to see her grow her business over the years – in particular the past one with such highlights as attending COP28 as a panel speaker on circularity and the launch of a new collection. The Rock Hound really does stand up to its moniker of bringing “the aesthetics to ethics”.
Susi Smither, Founder of The Rock Hound adds: “To win Creative Designer of the Year at last night’s UK Jewellery Awards is a dream come true. The judges really took the time to dig deep and understand my creative process. It makes me immensely proud that they recognised it’s not just the designs but the ethics behind each piece of jewellery which makes The Rock Hound so special.”