Meet Rayane Chami, a freshwater pearl jeweller. Rayane started making this beautiful jewellery through her mother, who taught families in Lebanon how to make necklaces with the pearls. Now, she works alone and takes custom orders for those who want a more personalised feel. Her designs are beautiful and unique, there is something for everyone! In this interview, Rayane tells us all about her journey, where the pearls come from and some tips for anyone starting a new business. To check out her Instagram, click the button below!

Tell us a bit about how your small business started.

I’ll start with a bit of background! My mum used to run a social enterprise in Lebanon, where she would teach mothers from lower-income families to make these long crocheted freshwater pearl necklaces that she had designed. In return, they would get a fixed salary and access to workshops about domestic violence, child psychology, and financial literacy. Unfortunately, her enterprise was unsuccessful and had to shut down a year later.

In April 2019, I received a 2-week suspected cancer referral from the NHS and my parents dragged me back to Lebanon for a biopsy. I was halfway through my PhD but just couldn’t focus on my academic work. I came across some of my mum's old stock and just started playing around with them. My biopsy came out negative, and I brought back over 10kg of mum’s pearls to London to keep creating. Fast forwards 21 months onwards, my nightmare of a doctorate is over, but I still make jewellery every single day!

How do you source your freshwater pearls/jewellery?

A large proportion of my pearls have been handed down to me by my mum! I also often find some vintage gems on Ebay, which I bid on, break apart, and re-use. Most recently, I've started purchasing from a family-owned pearl farm in a beautiful town in China. As wonderful as it would be to source them from the UK, the UK does not farm freshwater pearls! My method allows me to skip the middleman, select my own variety in bulk, know exactly where my pieces are coming from, and keep my prices affordable.

Do you work alone or do you have a group of people helping you? If you work alone do you face many difficulties?

I work alone! I wouldn't say I face any major difficulties, except maybe sometimes having more demand than I am able to provide within a decent time frame. Oh and packaging, I hate packaging!

How do you keep the creative juices flowing - do you find yourself stuck sometimes in terms of designs?

I think I've just spent so much of my life in non-creative fields that I have a build up of ideas just waiting to rush out. I don't find myself stuck on designs, but I do find myself feeling low or demotivated at times.

Is there an inspiration behind your work?

Nope! As they say "our needs are our greatest assets". In line with what I would want as a consumer, I want to create top-quality jewellery that is beautiful, sustainable, and doesn't cost a fortune.

And lastly what would be your tips for someone starting a small business themselves?

I'm no expert, but from my own experience:

- Ask yourself what you would like to see more of, and then try to make it yourself.

- Reflect on what you'd like your Instagram feed to look like before impulsively posting.

- Refine your skills before you start selling. You will get better as you go along, but it's important not to just sell for the sake of.

- Don't attempt to copy what you've already seen. You will never gain the beautiful rush of making your own that way, and it is very upsetting to those who the designs belong to. Just be a moral person!