A lawyer has given up her successful career in the city to start a bespoke jewellery design company inspired by her son.
Susie Jones, who was born in Lambeth and now lives in Shad Thames, started Mildred Jones Fine Jewellery after trying to find a pendant to commemorate the birth of her two-year-old son Barnaby.
“I wanted to buy a piece to celebrate his birth, but I couldn’t find anything out there with special meaning that was high enough quality to last forever.
“I was looking for something that could be passed down the generations to form part of our family history.
“I designed my own pendant in his honour, and then friends and family liked it so much they commissioned their own. So really, I have Barnaby to thank for my business,” said Susie.
When coming up with a name for the company Susie admitted she was too shy to use her own and ‘Mildred’ was chosen because of her love of all things traditional.
“The name Mildred is evocative of the older generation and my jewels are inspired by antiques, it’s also a bit of a pet name my partner Tristan has for me,” said Susie.
Susie was fascinated by charms from a young age and as a teenager worked in the antique jewellery trade before becoming a lawyer for global firm Linklaters.
“When I was eight I told everyone they had to call me Julie because it sounded like jewellery,” said Susie.
“I had a part-time job working in London’s Burlington Arcade while doing my degree and after I graduated I started working a law firm but I never lost my fascination with jewellery and design.
“When Barnaby was born I realised that I wanted to spend time with him and this was the perfect opportunity to work from home and start doing what I have always loved.”
More information can be found on Susie’s website www.mildredjones.co.uk
