Sustainable Sparkle: Inside Andrea Flamini’s World of Jewellery Design

In the world of independent jewellery design, Andrea Flamini, the founder of LOEL, has carved out a unique niche with her stunning, sustainable creations inspired by Italian craftsmanship.

Over the past eight years, LOEL has grown from a dream conceived during Andrea's maternity leave to a thriving brand beloved by customers and high-profile celebrities alike. From her seaside home on the Kent Coast, Andrea balances the demands of entrepreneurship with creativity, sustainability, and a personal touch that resonates with her loyal customers.

Andrea shares her journey, inspirations, and invaluable advice for aspiring jewellery designers.

Nicolle: What inspired you to start LOEL, and how has your journey evolved over the past eight years as an independent jewellery designer?

Andrea: I have always adored jewellery. Growing up, my mother had the most incredible style and collection of jewellery that she had bought or inherited from her grandmother, and I loved dressing up in her pearls and brooches. When I was older, my parents moved to Italy, and my mother set up her own jewellery business, making and selling jewellery at 5* hotels around Europe.

At the time, I would help her with the online aspect of the business and travel with her on many buying trips to meet the Italian designers. I loved being immersed in this world of design and creativity so much so that when it was time for me to go back to work after my first maternity leave, I decided to leave my Head of Marketing job and try and create a brand that brought the beautiful hand made pieces that I was seeing in Italy to a UK audience. 

Over the past 8 years, we have focused the brand more on a direct-to-consumer approach and through our online store. It allows us to have more of a relationship with our customers and present ourselves as a holistic brand rather than just jewellery designers.

Nicolle: Your pieces have been seen on high-profile names like Tyra Banks and Girls Aloud. How did those opportunities come about, and what impact have they had on your brand?

Andrea: All our PR has come about through me sliding into the DMs of stylists and celebrities and hoping that they might be willing to take a punt on a small business. Most often than not, they are very happy to help and absolutely love the jewellery when they receive it. I love working with stylists as they understand what it means to a small brand like ours to be featured on high-profile celebrities or publications, so I will try and help as best I can.

Claudia Winkleman’s stylist, Sinead McKeefry is amazing for example. She has consistently used our pieces on Strictly for the past 4 years or so and the impact has been incredible. Having our brand seen on such influential women and publications gives our customers confidence that we are a brand that they can trust and positions us as one to consider when making their next jewellery purchase. It also allows us to align ourselves with strong, powerful successful women who represent our brand and our values.

Nicolle: Sustainability is a core value for LOEL, with jewellery crafted in Italy using recycled gold and silver. Why is sustainability important to your brand, and how do you ensure it in your production process?

Andrea: I have always admired the Italians’ approach to design and their focus and commitment to beautifully crafted pieces. Everything is considered and made to last for generations - as most production should be. The designers we work with in Italy absolutely hold this same commitment to sustainability and excellence. We work with a handful of small family-run businesses who employ local artisans to create their pieces. We have visited their workshops on many occasions and met all the team involved. It’s always the highlight of our buying trips.

More recently we have started to offer a gold replating service to our customers to ensure that if eventually their plating wears off they have an opportunity to return their much loved piece to its original state. We don’t make any money on this and offer the service at cost price as we want to encourage them to keep wearing and loving their pieces for as long as possible. In terms of our packaging, we work with a Danish firm who use recycled and recyclable paper, water-based glue and fair-trade cotton for their bags. We again buy in small quantities as and when we need them to avoid waste or long lead times, and being based in Europe allows us to keep our carbon footprint as low as possible. 

Nicolle: Running LOEL as a solo entrepreneur from your home on the Kent Coast must come with its challenges. How do you manage the demands of the business while maintaining creativity and balance?

Andrea: We moved to the Kent Coast from London about 4 years ago and I was worried that I would struggle to find a similar level of creative inspiration outside of the capital but things couldn’t have been more different. I am surrounded by the most inspiring creative minds from artists, musicians, photographers and film-makers to name a few. All incredibly generous with their time and encouragement. Living in a small town allows you to interact more freely with people and projects, and things happen at a much faster pace here.

As far as balance is concerned, I have to try and be disciplined with myself as the temptation to go for a long beach walk when the sun is shining is hard to resist. However, running your own business does allow you to choose the hours you keep so I’m happy to work later into the evenings if it means I can play a game of tennis with friends on a Friday morning.

Nicolle: As an online retailer, what strategies have you used to connect with your customers and stand out in the competitive jewellery market?

Andrea: It´s a very crowded market and the nature of jewellery means that many brands offer similar designs, so trying to stand out on a small budget like ours is tough. 

We have an incredibly loyal customer base, our returning customer rate last year was 50%, which is amazing. It means that I know if I can get someone over the line, they will most likely come back again and again. So our strategy has been to try and really wow with that first purchase. That could be with basic customer service, but also with some of our marketing tools and unique tone of voice.

That said, we did invest in Facebook advertising this year for the first time. It’s the most cost effective way to reach a new audience and the agency we are working with is fantastic. They understand us as a brand and the challenges we face. As our budgets are stretched, I have also taken a more personal approach to our marketing, whether that’s through the creation of content or putting myself in front of the camera more. It allows us to have a point of difference from the larger, more faceless competitors. It is outside of my natural comfort zone but it seems to resonate with our customers.

Nicolle: What advice would you give to aspiring jewellery designers looking to create a unique and sustainable brand in today’s industry?

Andrea: I would say the best thing to do is try and build a community around your brand. Be forward facing and approachable to your customers so that they buy into you as well as your designs. This is such a great point of difference to larger, more corporate brands who will always be able to outspend you. But they will lack the authenticity that you have and the ability to be nimble, fast and creative.

If possible, surround yourself with creative people who inspire you and support you and don’t be afraid to take risks. Being small allows you to learn on your feet and adapt quickly, so any mistakes are usually small and give you the opportunity to learn and grow faster.

Andrea Flamini's journey as an independent jewellery designer and founder of LOEL is a testament to the power of passion, perseverance, and creativity. From her roots in a family steeped in jewellery design to her commitment to sustainability and building authentic connections with customers, Andrea’s story is both inspiring and insightful.

As LOEL continues to shine brightly in the competitive jewellery market, Andrea’s dedication to creating timeless, sustainable designs serves as an example for aspiring designers and entrepreneurs alike.

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Nicolle Knapova is a little bit of everything. She is a freelance translator, content creator. She loves indie music and is always browsing through Spotify to find the next amazing artist to obsess over. Her love for storytelling means she’s always writing something and she’s not afraid of any genre. Her biggest dream is to be a published author. If she’s not writing her fan fiction, she’s writing her poetry and sharing it on her Instagram @elisecaverly.