NEW BEGINNINGS

Angela Locke
Oct 17
2 min read

Updated: Oct 19

The Winter I Found My Sparkle:

The Story of Angela Locke Jewellery

How it all began...

Another cold, grey UK winter was looming. With my husband abroad and my son at University, the silence in the house was deafening. I was at a crossroads, wondering how to fill the long, dark evening without resorting to the sofa, Netflix and a glass or three of wine.

And then a good friend introduced me to the wonderful world of hand-making jewellery and I was hooked as much by the craft's creative process as seeing the end result. There's magic in sorting through shimmering beads and it was akin to being a child again, gazing longingly at colourful jars of sweets on the corner shop shelf.

From hobby to hard work

What started as a personal pastime quickly gained momentum. Friends commissioned me to make Christmas gifts, and soon my entire family and friendship circle were adorned with my creations. The best feedback? The joy on the faces of those with arthritic fingers who found our magnetic clasps a game-changer. That feeling__of creating something both beautiful and genuinely helpful __ was incredible.

With a lot of encouragement, I decided to take the leap and Angela Locke Jewellery was born.

What came next

I drew on my background in fashion accessory design and reignited old manufacturing friendships in Hong Kong. I even took my bead-sourcing global with a fabulous trip to

Jaipur _ a vibrant, overwhelming, and inspiring experience.

(Note to self: never again during the rainy season!)

Then came the real challenge: mastering Excel, social media marketing and website development from scratch. Thankfully, my past experience running a portrait photography business in Hong Kong meant I could style and shoot my own photo's but I'm old-school _ no AI for me at the moment, just a keen eye and a desire to keep improving the traditional way.

And just like that...

...I am about to introduce my first online collection. This exciting journey from a quiet winter to launching a new business has been a 9 month long whirlwind and wouldn't have been possible without an incredible support system. Step forward Carolyn Wren, Patricia Spreyer, Julia and David Wyndham, Jade Cox, Fiona McKnight, Sharon Smith, Jax Chalk, Keren King, Jude and Tia Bailey, Annika Milne, Cecilia Milne, Adele Bruner, Beverley Cappleman, Melanie Hellwig, Rachel Ching, Mei Chan, Lakshy, Kenny & Benny, Sersi Jia, The Chan family, Flora and the amazing team in Hong Kong/China. A special thank you must also go to my ever-patient models, Alana Crane and Harrison Locke. Then finally, thanks to my husband Dean Locke, and Royale International Couriers.