My love for jewellery making began when a friend helped me create a birthstone ring for my mum’s 50th birthday. From that moment, I was completely hooked. I wanted to learn everything I could, so I read, researched, and watched endless tutorials, videos, and blogs. Before I knew it, I was utterly obsessed.
Paired with my love for beachcombing, it felt only natural to start making seaglass jewellery, and that’s how Ula Jewellery was born. The name “Ula” means “gem of the sea” in Celtic, which felt like the perfect fit for my little seaglass jewellery business.
As time went on, I began exploring gemstones too, focusing on ethical and carefully graded stones. I quickly fell head over heels for Australian boulder opals in particular. Around the same time, my work started to take on a more bohemian direction as I experimented with patterns, textures, and multi stone settings, giving each piece a more expressive and free-spirited feel.
During lockdown, Ula Jewellery grew from a passion project into a full-time business when we transformed our little shed into a cosy workshop.
Over the past 12 years, my workspace has had quite the glow-up, from a tiny boat cabin to an 8×6 shed, then a 10×8 shed, the spare bedroom, a 20-foot container, and now a 30-foot container workshop. It’s been an exciting and ever-evolving journey.
More recently, my fiancé Jon has joined me in the business. He’s learning the craft and will be launching a brand-new men’s range for Ula Jewellery in the near future, which we’re really excited about.
Our biggest inspiration will always be the Cornish coast, its wild beauty, shifting tides, and the hidden treasures that wash ashore. Each piece of seaglass holds a story, shaped by time and the sea, and we love giving it new life through our jewellery.
Lately, we’ve also begun exploring the rich history of ancient Cornish myths and legends, and are starting to weave these stories into our designs. This new direction feels like a natural extension of our connection to the landscape, adding a deeper sense of meaning, mystery, and storytelling to the pieces we create.
We find constant inspiration in the nature that surrounds us, the colours of the cliffs, the textures of the sand and shells, and most of all, the ever-changing Cornish sea. It’s where we spend as much time as we can, and it sits at the heart of everything we create at Ula Jewellery.
We’re open by appointment at Container 08 at Krowji, Redruth. If you fancy popping in for a chat or to see what we’re working on, we’d love to welcome you.
Robyn & Jon
