London correspondent Nicole Dalamagas has a chance encounter of the jewelry kind.

Walking into a London boutique, I couldn’t fail to notice the striking piece of jewelry that embellished the young girl’s neck who stood before me. Long silver spikes, glimmering in the sun, intensified the necklace’s raw edge, whilst a huge cocktail of sparkling colored jewels added an air of girlish charm. Naturally, I asked where she bought this undeniably fabulous necklace, only to discover that the somewhat shy girl before me had, in fact, designed and built the treasure herself. Her name was Victoria Glynn, and she never, ever  fails to surprise.

In the ever-changing sea of emerging British jewelry designers,  Glynn is a true gem of the ocean. Her designs are unique and eye-catching (our first encounter is a testament to this),  and just like the necklace I noticed that day, all of Glynn’s pieces seem to ooze British cool and radiate a sense of superior taste and sophistication that screams to be noticed. “In Britain we have a way of combining style and tradition with a seriously modern edge,” says Glynn. “We can rock the glamour of a ball gown, work hunting apparel and yet epitomize the romance of an English rose. This really sums up my jewellery. Women in Britain are courageous with fashion.”

While most children were still playing with Barbies and sucking on a dummy, Glynn’s love for jewelry was already developing. “My most significant memory is my Nana giving me my own tin box filled with jewellery. I was only about three years old so too young to appreciate a real jewellery box but I was obsessed with her jewellery. As soon as I got to her house it would be the first thing I asked for. She had a jewellery cabinet and I new what was in every box!” This trinket box not only began Glynn’s passion for jewelry-making but also provided the foundation for her bespoke bridal service.

Having found it difficult to find glamourous vintage jewelry for her own wedding, Glynn reworked one of her grandmother’s brooches and teamed it with a string of vintage pearls, giving a whole new meaning to something old something new. “  I start the design process by asking the bride to send an image of the dress,” explains Glynn. “Most brides want to incorporate a vintage piece into the design as this brings in the something old, something new. I can rework and incorporate a family heirloom or trinket if the bride so wishes. With the bridal service it is sometimes much more than than me designing the jewellery, I have to provide styling advise and come up with solutions. For example, I worked with a bride who had a 1930s style gown created and she required jewels for the strap’ and for across the back of the dress. I sourced some vintage earrings and a vintage necklace and adapted them so the dress maker could attach them to the dress. I then designed a bracelet to match.”

Glynn often searches far and wide for inspiration , reworking vintage pieces to avoid mass-production and working with individual clients to create one-off, original pieces that fit her wearers’ unique sense of style. Customers requesting bespoke items will even receive a complimentary consultation.

Scouring markets far and wide, the young designer picks up anything from antique medals to tribal beads. “Traveling gives me so much inspiration, the textures and the colours in India, flea markets in France, the souks in Morocco, China in general provides me with so many ideas.” Each design is unapologetically bold, undeniably beautiful and completely personal. She adds, “I travel to each country to hand pick my materials so the design process starts in the markets/factories or studio. I draw inspiration from the past when creating my pieces, I spend many an hour rummaging at vintage fairs and flea markets around the world, uncovering vintage treasures that can be restored, reused and reworked. I create for the love of all things fabulous so anything that I think will work I buy it.”

The time and care that Glynn takes when creating her stunning designs is evident in the sheer exquisity of each piece. In fact, even inspirations are fierce, including predators and large cats such as panthers, leopards and lions. “They are strong and powerful therefore inspiring the collection of chunky leather beads. I have had the beads hand made so they remind me of animal and reptile skins,” says Glynn. “I team the beads with either, semi-precious stones, crystals or freshwater pearls and vintage pieces. The pieces make a strong and powerful statement.” And just like their inspiration, Glynn’s the wearer of a bespoke Victoria Glynn piece is not to be messed with: “She has the attitude of Coco Chanel whereby her vision is to break every rule proving that classic glamour doesn’t adhere to strictures. Whatever she wears is perfection due to her confidence and inherent style. Like the person who wears my jewellery they embrace the unconventional.”

And never one to follow the crowd, Glynn has even begun an exciting new collaboration with Starkey Laborities to provide hearing aids with a difference, working with the international hearing aid manufacturer and Kate Cross, a partially deaf audiologist, Glynn aims to create an innovative collection of hearing aid accessories “The collection is called Hearrings and is hoping to challenge any stigma and negative perceptions of wearing a hearing aid.” It seems there is no end to the originality of this talented designer.  NICOLE DALAMAGAS