The Links That Join Us: Recap
Earlier this year, we began a new series: The Links That Join Us. This series celebrates the inspiring, thoughtful, creative women who wear our jewellery. We believe jewellery carries histories and human stories, from the artisans who shape each piece using skills passed down through generations, to the women who choose to wear them and make them their own. In each edition, we shared the story of a woman from our community, and through imagery and conversation, she reflected on her work, life, and relationship with jewellery. Since February we have featured five incredible women, and before we continue the series, we'd like to look back on these women and their stories.
We began the series with artist and friend, Patrice Moor. Patrice is a painter and collage artist whose work explores memory, presence, and the quiet spaces in between. Over the past four years, she has been developing a deeply personal body of work inspired by her childhood, brought together under the title The Presence of Absence. Patrice has been an Artist in Residence at a number of institutions, including the Royal College of Physicians in London, Somerville and Lincoln College in Oxford, and most recently the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Oxford. Her work is thoughtful, layered, and intuitive, qualities that resonate beautifully with the handmade pieces she wears and the stories they carry.
“I never ever get bored of any of the pieces I have of Pippa’s. They hold meaning and feel connected to the earth”
Patrice’s first piece of Pippa Small Jewellery was bought the day she met Pippa, a simple gold band with a ruby in it, which she still cherishes as a reminder of their meeting. Patrice’s husband Andrew gifts her Pippa pieces for anniversaries, birthdays, and celebrations, so that each piece of jewellery marks a moment or chapter.
Our second feature was beautiful Rachel Landon, co-founder of ‘Wilder Botanics’, inspired by Rachel’s 20 years of clinical practice as a naturopath and herbalist. Created from 100% natural, organic, and carefully wild-harvested herbal ingredients, Wilder Botanics offers a luxurious line of professional, holistic, therapeutic, high-performance, whole-body care. They believe this holistic approach is a balance for everyone, using centuries-old techniques and keeping the method and stories alive for generations.
“I love how [Pippa’s] pieces all have a story from different communities and cultures, with constant consideration to their skills as well as the communities’ livelihoods.”
Rachel remembers the first pieces of jewellery that were special to her, her grandmother’s Cartier watch, entrusted to her when she was 13, and a brass cuff gifted to her by her mother on her 18th birthday which she wears every day. Drawn to the colour and depth of lapis lazuli, Rachel treasures her two lapis pieces from Pippa Small, and she was gifted by Pippa a precious piece of labradorite which she wears daily.
Our third feature was extraordinary painter and decorative artist, Alexandra Simondetti Small. Working as an artist for over 30 years, Alexandra relocated to Italy in the early 1990s, where she studied trompe-l’œil and drew inspiration from the frescoes of the great painters in ancient palazzos, monasteries, and churches. These formative years led to commissions in homes, palaces, and hotels worldwide = from NYC and Arizona to the Emirates and Hong Kong.
“Pippa’s pieces are like that – you put them on once, and somehow you never quite take them off”
One of Alex’s favourite necklaces is a 22-karat gold magnolia flower that Pippa designed and handmade by Turquoise Mountain artisans in Yangon. Her first Pippa ring came twenty-four years ago, an uncut aquamarine stone set in high karat gold. When Alex’s twins were born, she was given diamonds in traditional white gold settings, but she only began wearing them when Pippa came up with a design to set them in yellow 22-karat gold, handmade by Sushil. Alex always wears two bracelets made by the young artisans on Zindagi Now, Pippa’s foundation in Kabul.
Next, we spoke to acclaimed Los Angeles-based contemporary photographer Tierney Gearon. Tierney has gained international recognition for her powerful work and has been exhibited at many prominent galleries and museums, including the Gagosian Gallery, the Parrish Art Museum, and the Scottish National Portrait Gallery. Tierney most recently published “The Collection”, chronicling her journey with Hermès beach towels from the early 90s to present day, through a visual diary. Tierney has been photographing Pippa Small campaigns for over fifteen years.
“What I love about Pippa’s work is that it’s collaborative, her jewellery grows with you. You can add pieces over time, combine different clusters…allowing a necklace or bracelet to evolve and become more personal, more yours.”
Tierney’s first Pippa piece was a collection of stones on a cord, she also remembers a gold necklace made of small lentil-shaped beads, and a choker with a raw-stone. Tierney relates to her jewellery in a very personal way and never takes her pieces off. All of Tierney’s Pippa pieces are incredibly sentimental, more recently she’s been wearing a selection of flowers, seeds, and gold that she’s had on consistently for about six years.
Our final featured woman in this first edition of ‘The Links That Join Us’ was the brilliant Sam Robinson, owner and co-founder of The Cross in Holland Park – one of London’s first lifestyle boutiques. The Cross celebrates all that is artisanal and crafted, passionate about pioneering talent, craft, and technique. A treasure trove to behold, The Cross prescribes a beautiful way of life. A handknitted cashmere jumper, a vintage rug, a handcrafted piece of jewellery – objects to be adored and cherished while championing sustainability.
“I have an immense amount of respect for Pippa; she is constantly travelling the world to support communities of artisans in far-off places such as Colombia, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Palestine, and India, to name a few. I honestly do not know how she does it all, and with such love, grace, passion, and style!”
Sam has been wearing Pippa Small jewellery for more than three decades now. She bought her husband John a pair of lapis Pippa cufflinks when they first met, and a smoky quartz carved bottle – which still has a tiny love note to him inside. For Sam’s 50th birthday John bought her a gold flower necklace with articulating petals, revealing a ruby inside. Sam has another gold flower necklace, handcrafted in Myanmar, that she says makes her feel very happy and super special every time she wears it.
It has been a privilege to delve deeper into the lives of the extraordinary women who wear Pippa Small Jewellery, and we cannot wait to continue the journey in the next instalment of ‘The Links That Join Us’.