I have known Little by Little jewellery for a few years now, having met one of the co-founders Georgina for coffee in Lewes one fine day. I have followed their journey while admiring their ethos, in fact I am not sure why I haven't shared Little by Little jewellery with you earlier?
A self imposed offline hiatus of sorts on my part I guess. Anyway, I am putting that right today because a small brand who aim to be sustainable and also give back to the community with every purchase is to be applauded. And shared. So share I will...
Please introduce yourself...
I’m Georgina Fuggle, a chef, food stylist and co-founder of Little by Little Jewellery. I live in Winchester where life is full of food, shiny jewellery and (occasional) wild swimming in the Test River.
Tell us more Little by Little jewellery
Little by Little was founded in 2015 is a sustainable jewellery brand that takes design inspiration from ingredients. Started by me, Georgina Fuggle and my friend Annabel Cox; a food writer and an ethical jewellery designer respectively. Our idea was born, over coffee, dreaming of ways to do business generously and raise funds for charity whilst doing so. The product followed, a happy combination of our passions.
Since it’s conception there have been four collections: The Seville, The Mustard Seed, The Wedge and The Pip. Made with sustainable gold, silver and glass, the collections each have their own distinct identity and quality.
We are constantly reminded of the priviledge it is to run a business but also aware how fragile and all consuming it can be. We are two girls who feel passionate about design, empowering women and sustainability. We’d love to take you on this journey alongside us.
What inspires your designs / collections?
The collections are each inspired by an ingredient. We are inspired by seasons, tastes or simply the beauty found in the natural form of food.
As a food stylist I have a natural (and quite frustrating habit) of seeing ‘pretty’ foods/spices. Which always means there are plenty of ideas for the next collection!
As charitable donations and sustainability are fundamental to your ethos, please share a little of what you do here…
I think this question can neatly be divided into three sections; all of which lie at the core of what we do:
Empowerment - At Little by Little we believe in the importance of empowering women and put our partnership with Luminary Bakery as a critical part of this.
Luminary Bakery is a London based charity that provides opportunities for women to build a future for themselves. They have a safe and professional environment where women can grow holistically – encouraging ambition, restoration and second chances. Luminary use baking as a tool to take women on a journey to employability and entrepreneurship, equipping them with transferable skills for the working world.
With every single purchase of Little by Little jewellery we donate £3 to Luminary which covers the cost of the training materials used for one women, for one day.
Sustainability - Little by Little Jewellery’s key sustainable values lie in championing a responsible social and environmental supply chain. We not only want to create beautiful jewellery; we also want to make a positive impact through our production and packaging.
Our collections are made by a well-established jewellery producer in Lima, Peru. The production house has been running for 32 years and employs 350 people. From its inception its aim was to bring opportunity and employment, and it does this by giving jobs to people with no prior technical experience, training them in the art of jewellery making. We love the skills, community, space and creativity that exists there.
Transparency - We use local Peruvian silver, some of which is recycled, in the creation of our collections. The virgin metal used is supplied by companies with environmental certification that meet with strict Labour standards and comply with human rights laws.
The packaging we use for our jewellery is plastic free and 100% recycled and made in the UK.
And finally where can we find your jewellery…?
Predominantly online – we have a handful of galleries stocking our pieces throughout the UK, but the easiest way to find us is on our website www.littlebylittlejewellery.com
A piece of jewellery is something to be cherished isn't it? Chosen carefully and enjoyed for a long time. And if that jewellery also indirectly does something good, then it seems like a wonderful choice to me. I am secretly coveting the seville dome pendant, it is on my wish list for next time I invest in a piece of jewellery. Or my birthday, depending on which comes first!
If nothing else, Little by Little are doing something for good and for that reason alone we should be spreading the word about them. Don't you agree?
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All photos in this post courtesy of Little by Little
