Stephen Webster
| Stephen Webster | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Stephen Webster Gravesend, Kent, England |
| Residence | London, England |
| Nationality | British |
| Education | Medway College |
| Occupation | Jewelry designer |
| Known for | Innovative fine jewelry design |
| Website | http://www.stephenwebster.com |
| Labels | Stephen Webster, Garrard |
Stephen Webster MBE (born 1959[1]) is a British jewellery designer best known as founder of his eponymous jewellery brand.
Biography
Born in Gravesend, Kent, Stephen Webster was educated at Gravesend Grammar School and later at the Medway College of Design (now the University for the Creative Arts, Rochester).[2][3]
After completing his training under Tony Shepherd (himself a former Prime Warden of the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths), Webster worked as a craftsman for several established London design houses. Among many highly regarded commissions was the honor, on two occasions, of setting the De Beers Diamond Stakes Trophy. After receiving the acclaimed De Beers honour in 1982 (an accreditation that marked Webster's official passage into the fine jewellery trade) Webster relocated to Canada to design for an independent jeweler. Following a brief return to the UK in 1984, Webster identified a potential market for his jewelry in California, where his bold style combined with a brave use of colourful, exotic gems attracted a freethinking and fashion-savvy, west coast clientele.
After much success and careful expansion, Webster returned to London in 1989 to establish Stephen Webster Ltd. Building his brand on a foundation of technical excellence first developed at the workbench in London's Hatton Garden (where Webster began his apprenticeship at the age of 16), this distinctly British heritage and passion for traditional goldsmithing remains at the heart of the Stephen Webster brand today. The brand currently has over 200 points of sale worldwide and flagship stores in London, Beverly Hills, Moscow, St Petersburg and Kiev.
In 2007, Webster was awarded an honorary Master of Arts degree from the University for the Creative Arts,[2] and in 2013 Webster was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the New Year Honours for services to training and skills in the British jewellery industry.[4]
References
- ↑ http://www.high50.com/life/stephen-webster-jewellery%E2%80%99s-rough-diamond
- 1 2 http://www.ucreative.ac.uk/alumni/stephen-webster
- ↑ Menkes, Suzy (8 December 2008). "New York Times, Dec 12, 2008 - Stephen Webster of Garrard's: The crown hipster of jewelry". The New York Times.
- ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 60367. p. 23. 29 December 2012.