Behind the Brand
Deon Smith Jewellery launched online in June 2021 amid the COVID pandemic, a move that initially seemed foolhardy, but that has since proved to be a brave and fortunate one.
The lengthy lockdown afforded me the time to develop the Botanical Collection of 5 unique designs with a total of 14 different pieces. Being immersed in images, wax models and castings of Fynbos plants was therapeutic as walking in the veld and on Table Mountain was not possible for much of the lockdown period. It also helped counteract the anxiety and many uncertainties that engulfed the world at that time.
The response to the Botanical Collection was quite overwhelming. There was an invitation to exhibit 2 pieces from the collection in the FAB Jewels exhibition at the Milano Jewellery Week in 2022. This was followed by an offer to appear in the New Designer section of the iconic September issue of British Vogue. Further invitations followed – the Florence Biennale 2023, the New York and London Fashion Weeks. My big and bold designs featuring indigenous woods and sculptural depictions of flowers and plants in silver captured a lot of international attention.
However, creativity is never static, and the Lignum Collection followed, focusing predominantly on indigenous woods of Southern Africa. These designs are more pared down, allowing the extraordinary beauty of these woods to shine.
In 2024 with an invitation to be part of the prestigious Artistar Jewels exhibition at the Milano Jewellery Week I set myself the challenge of creating 2 pieces of jewellery that were completely different to what I had designed to date. These pieces were inspired by found gemstones and metal objects, making each piece a unique one-off design.
This new venture into the realm of contemporary art jewellery was met with a very positive response and an opportunity to be part of the Inflow Exhibition in Budapest, Hungary in August 2025 followed.
MY collections
Botanical
Botanical
Lignum
Lignum
Punctuated
Punctuated
