Rooted in British heritage, family-run fine jeweller Daniella Draper specialises in timeless, personalised pieces designed to be cherished for generations. With a strong devotion to protection and preservation, the brand effortlessly blends luxury and sustainability, championing circularity and local craftsmanship while remaining true to its bold British identity. In this edition of In Conversation With, we explore Daniella’s journey in building the brand alongside her mother and sister, the importance of embedding sustainability into the business model, and how the simple act of a morning dog walk can ignite inspiration.
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Can you share the story behind the founding of Daniella Draper and what inspired the start of the brand?
I’ve always been creative, which led me to study a Jewellery Design degree at Central St Martins, where my graduation project was the start of the business. The first product I designed and made for this collection remains one of our bestselling pieces today – the Signature Bangle. This timeless design can be personalised with initials, special dates, or a sentimental quote. The simplicity and elegance of this design have underpinned all my subsequent collections, and personalisation remains an essential feature within my designs today. I am proud to remain an independent family-run business, working alongside my mum and sister to build a brand with such personal meaning for customers worldwide.
What is your brand ethos?
Our brand is centred around sustainability, British craftsmanship and personalisation. Creating timeless designs is at the heart of everything we do. At Daniella Draper, the inspiration we take from the natural world comes with an inherent responsibility to preserve and protect it. Our designs are rooted in nature, and we use recycled metals and traceable or upcycled gemstones to handcraft our pieces in England. We are boldly British and are proud to champion artisanal craftsmanship – all our jewellery is responsibly created and lovingly distributed by our team, who form the wider Draper family, from our Lincolnshire workshop – the very best in quality, British craftsmanship and customer experience.
What does luxury mean to Daniella Draper?
While we are positioned as a luxury brand, I aspire to make my jewellery accessible to all and offer a wide range of designs so there is truly something for everyone. There are always little luxuries to be cherished daily, and I like to think that our jewellery represents that to our customers, whether they treat themselves or buy a thoughtful gift for a loved one. To me, luxury must also be grounded in sustainability as the planet is one of life’s greatest treasures, and we all need to be mindful of what we consume to ensure it can be enjoyed for generations to come.
How does Daniella Draper prioritise sustainable practices throughout the entire value chain?
At Daniella Draper, we are driven by our ongoing commitment to protect and preserve. Using recycled solid gold and sterling silver, we believe there is beauty in circularity. Up-cycling gemstones that have lived another life, restoring antique treasures and taking time to learn and do things better. In our efforts to move towards more sustainable practices, we believe in cultivating long-term relationships with our suppliers, who are all either RJC-certified or members of the ICA. Our Sustainable Procurement Policy outlines our aims and core principles, reflected in our Suppliers Code of Conduct, which our suppliers must abide by.
What influences your design process, and where do you draw inspiration for your collections?
All my designs are rooted in the English countryside, inspired by nature and designed for lifetimes of love. My creative process often begins on my morning walk with my dog, where every sense is stimulated by the fresh Lake District air. Drawing on nature as my inspiration, I sketch all my designs before beginning to hand carve them in wax to bring them to life. It’s a very organic process, which I complete by adding texture to align with the signature style that our customers know and love. As a firm believer in conscious consumption, all our jewellery has been carefully considered and designed to stand the test of time. I only release products I love and feel authentic to me and my style.
What have been some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced in the jewellery industry, and how have you overcome them?
The nature of the jewellery industry means that ensuring traceability and ethical sourcing can be challenging. Still, I have cultivated trusted relationships with our suppliers, whom we have worked with from the beginning. By committing to exclusively using recycled metals and traceable gemstones where possible, we ensure that ethical sourcing is at the forefront of everything we do. While many jewellers use CAD design to create their products and produce them on a mass scale, our jewellery is hand carved and crafted in England, which poses challenges when scaling the brand. Most of our production is done in-house, and we invest in training our team to ensure we have skilled silversmiths who produce the highest quality products.
How has working with Positive Luxury changed or informed your approach to sustainability?
We are incredibly proud to have achieved accreditation with Positive Luxury in 2020 and been awarded the prestigious Butterfly Mark. We undertook a comprehensive ESG+ assessment to demonstrate our commitment to building a sustainable future through our business practices. The Butterfly Mark symbolises that we are working to transform the luxury landscape and shows our commitment to achieving higher and higher standards for our people and planet – now and in the future. Being part of Positive Luxury inspires us to educate ourselves continually, strive to become more sustainable, and innovate in all aspects of our business. The support, expertise, and encouragement we have received from Positive Luxury have been invaluable, and we look forward to launching new sustainability initiatives in the coming months.
What’s next for Daniella Draper?
We see sustainability as a journey rather than a destination, meaning we always look for ways to improve our practices. Our focus this year has been investigating ways to enhance our gemstone traceability through exclusively using certified diamonds and opting for traceable gemstones from mines like Zimbaqua – a sustainable mine empowering women and working to ensure they positively impact their communities. I’m looking forward to releasing many new products and our new packaging made from recycled materials and paper from responsibly managed forests. Continuing to give back to our community is essential to me, so I’m excited to work with our existing and new charity partners to support causes close to my heart.
LEARN MORE ABOUT BUTTERFLY MARK CERTIFIED DANIELLA DRAPER
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