February 2, 2014

ZORASTE Joaillerie – bespoke fine jewellery straight from Paris

Zhora Docksey and her husband Steve are behind the ZORASTE Joaillerie, the fine jewellery, that focuses on  bespoke and original.

They started their company over 7 years ago through an idea Zhora had. She saw her husband’s “doodles” as something more, and thought they could be transformed into luxurious jewellery designs. None of them had previous qualifications, Zhora had studied marketing, which is something that has helped her in the developing of her business.

“My favourite piece is always the one that comes next,” she says as when you do bespoke it’s always different. The creative side is always her favourite, which also comes from the multi-cultural background of her clients. The end product is a combination of the client’s idea and Zhora’s.

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Bracelet from the Labyrinth collection

Even though she is based in London, the secret to her success is the quality of the jewellery, which are produced in a workshop in Paris. Zoraste use the same craftsmen as Cartier, Louis Vuitton and others. The difference between these companies is that if you want to have a bespoke, personalised piece from Cartier it will probably cost you a fortune. So if instead you want something different, well-made and modern this is where Zoraste comes in.

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Pendant and ring from the Iris collection

“The client is always right” has become a cliche, but is especially true for Zhora, “our priority is for the client to be happy. But always keep in mind it [the design] has to be timeless, not only a fashion piece but something you’ll want to wear,” she says. The interaction with the client is very important as “everything is done to perfection,” Zhora says. This is also why patience from the client’s point of view is important, as it takes time for jewellery to be made, and cannot be ready after just a week.

In terms of clientèle, because the market of fine jewellery is a niche market, word-of-mouth is enough, and also more controllable.

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Pendant and ring from the Astre collection

The last point Zhora makes is that even though she doesn’t have a design background, a creative mind is very important. “If you have no idea what to draw it doesn’t matter how well you draw,” she says.

All I can say is that if you are passionate about what you do it doesn’t matter when or how you start. Zhora herself managed to find six craftsmen after three months of looking, but so it happened she found the very best and they all wanted to work with her.

Check out their website here.

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Image source: courtesy of Zoraste

xo F

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