Today I’m featuring statement jewellery but this time it’s a little finer – symbolic & embedded with culture. I was recently introduced to Firouzeh, a range of handmade 18 carat gold pieces which is designed by a young british designer, Touran Reddaway. I recently interviewed Touran about her line, her inspirations, her favorite fashion blogs & what tip she gives aspiring jewelry designers!
http://www.firouzeh.co.uk/ 

-Hi Touran! How did you come about designing jewelry?

When I was 8-years-old on a trip to Brazil, I told my mother that I wanted to be a jeweler. I loved all the colours of the beautiful stones there, and in Particular, I loved the Brazilian jewellery company, H. Stern. My mother had been going to a goldsmith in Iran for years, and right from the start, this goldsmith encouraged me to design my own pieces. Many of my mother’s friends became interested in my pieces and would ask to buy
them.

 -What are you inspired by?

My main inspiration comes from ancient Persia and Byzantium. It originally came from seeing the beautiful old pieces in museums. I wanted to recreate these designs to fit in with contemporary fashion, but continue to use the older techniques such as granulation. I love the idea of stories behind pieces, I think it makes them even more timeless. I am inspired by
beautiful ancient sites like Persepolis or wonderful concepts like the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.

 -who is the ‘Firouzeh’ girl?

The ‘Firouzeh’ girl likes wearing unique jewellery and enjoys the idea of a piece having a story behind it reflecting an older world.

 -Do you read fashion blogs?
I am quite new to the world of fashion blogs, but I love to see what people are wearing and how they are wearing it like My Fash Diary and I love Mademoiselle Robot for her interesting stories.

 -You are inspired by cultures – what are your favorite cities?

Such a difficult question, but my current two favourite cities have to be Istanbul and Saint Petersburg. I love Istanbul, when you walk over the bridge crossing the Golden Horn, with incredible old monuments like the Hagia Sofia and the Topkapi palace you feel something magical in the air. It is an incredible fusion of east and west, a combination of older worlds and an incredible history, along with a progressive and dynamic society. I visited Saint Petersburg during the white nights, and quite simply fell in love with it. We looked across the river at the Hermitage Museum at midnight, and it felt like dusk. Russian history is so fascinating, and the various palaces are like nothing I had ever seen before.

 -Could you share a tip with myfashdiary readers on how to take care of jewelry?

If you like pearls, make sure you wear them a lot, as they become dull if
left in a box too long. The oil from your skin helps them shine. But make sure you keep them away from perfume, the alcohol really damages them! If you have gold jewellery, a great way to clean it and give its’ shine back, take an old toothbrush, put a bit of tooth paste on it and scrub away. You will notice the difference immediately!