Female empowerment and sustainability is at the core of Lisburn jewellery business Lustre & Love

As a lot of businesses were put on hold during the lockdown, the sisters made the brave decision to start planning to bring their long-held dream to fruition.

Deborah, who has lived in Lisburn for 22 years, and her sister Kirstie, who lives in England, decided to take a leap of faith and set up their own demi-fine jewellery brand ‘Lustre & Love’, something the pair have talked about doing for many years.

"I studied fashion and textiles at university,” explained Deborah, who also has her own business designing bespoke bridal jewellery.

"From going to school and being at university I have had a passion for designing. I did a little bit of jewellery designing at university and I have also done silversmithing and goldsmithing.

"When I left university I worked as a designer in Nottingham for a while. Then I met my husband and moved over to Northern Ireland.”

Deborah put her passion for design and love of fashion to good use when she moved to Lisburn, setting up her own business designing bridal jewellery.

"I have been designing bridal jewellery now for 16 years,” Deborah continued. ”When I got married I was inspired by weddings and the prettiness of it all.

“I felt I needed to rethink my life so I started the business based on my background. I now have a studio in Lisburn – Deborah K Designs.

"Kirstie works with me in the bridal business as well doing the website. She is 50% of the business.”

Kirstie became part of Deborah’s bridal jewellery business, helping with both the design aspect of the company, as well as the digital solutions needed in today’s modern online climate.

As much as they both love working in the wedding industry, they also had a desire to set up a different kind of jewellery business focussed on sustainability.

The sisters decided lockdown would give them the ideal opportunity and space to begin work on designing a new range of demi-fine jewellery, with female empowerment and sustainability at the very core of their business ethos.

"We wanted to have jewellery with meaning,” explained Deborah.

"There is so much out there that is the same and we wanted to have something a little bit different; something beautifully designed that had a meaning for the wearer as well.

"We wanted a piece of jewellery that really empowered women.

“We decided to start a business together and design a collection that is ours and that we can be really proud of. I wanted us to design it ourselves.”

Deborah and Kirstie had been talking about their plans for quite some time but they finally decided to take the plunge.

“Everything came to a halt during lockdown but we were able to put the building blocks in place and design the collection,” Deborah continued.

"There was a lot of back and forth. It was quite a process.”

Finally they had designed their first collection and sourced sustainable metals, launching Lustre & Love’s first range, entitled ‘Strength’ in February 2022.

Hot on the heels of ‘Strength’, which was created with black onyx, the sisters launched their second collection ‘Clarity’, which was created with white opals.

And not ones to rest on their laurels, the pair are also working on new lines, which will be released later this year.

“People really love the designs,” said Deborah, who is rightly proud of the success of the new company.

"They think it is really different, which is exactly what we wanted.

"We have a signature shape and people really comment on that and how different it is.

"There is so much jewellery out there that is very similar and almost a rehash of the same thing.”

Lustre & Love received an additional boost recently when they were named as a finalist in one of the industry’s most prestigious awards.

The UK Jewellery Awards recognises excellence across all areas in the industry including suppliers, manufacturers and business owners.

"We are beyond thrilled to be recognised as a finalist,” Deborah admitted.

"What started as a vision at a young age to set up our own business together to launch it during lockdown, it is amazing to have our hard work, unique designs and creativity to be recognised by the judges.

"This finalist news coincides with us securing a premium listing with La Maison Couture. Our jewellery will soon be available to purchase online there.

“It's a real honour to see our name alongside other successful jewellery brands.”

Deborah is confident the brand will continue to go from strength to strength and the sisters are looking forward to showcasing their collection at the prestigious Jewellery Festival in London later this year.

"I am hoping in September the Jewellery Festival is something that sets us in good stead for the future.

"We have big plans for our jewellery brand and are currently in negotiations with other UK suppliers.”

You can find out more about Lustre & Love and view the collections online at www.lustreandlove.co.uk.

The collections can also be found online at Etsy.

"I am always designing, working out what we are going to do next,” added Deborah. “We are always looking forward.

"Jewellery is timeless but fashion doesn’t stand still.

"We pour our hearts and souls into our business and love what we do.”