Stephen Webster

Stephen Webster is one of the most respected names in British fine jewellery, and the brand carries genuine craft credentials rather than just a designer signature. Webster trained under Tony Shepherd, himself a former Prime Warden of the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths, and was honoured to set the De Beers Diamond Stakes Trophy on two occasions. For a buyer who wants distinctive, design-led fine jewellery with a real maker behind it, that pedigree is reassuring.

It is regarded as a serious fine-jewellery house, founded and shaped by a trained craftsman. Webster's passage into the fine jewellery trade was effectively marked by the De Beers honour he received in 1982, after which he went on to design internationally before establishing his own brand. That bench-level grounding is exactly what collectors look for when judging quality at this level.

Stephen Webster MBE, born in 1959 in Gravesend, Kent, is a British jewellery designer best known as the founder of his eponymous brand. He was educated at Gravesend Grammar School and later at the Medway College of Design, now part of the University for the Creative Arts in Rochester. The brand is very much an extension of his own hands and reputation.

Webster returned to London in 1989 to establish Stephen Webster Ltd. Before that, after his early training he had relocated to Canada to design for an independent jeweller, then identified a market for his work in the US. That international apprenticeship fed directly into the house he built once he came home to London.

The brand has grown to over 200 points of sale worldwide, so there is broad availability through stockists. It also operates its own flagship stores in London, Beverly Hills, Moscow, St Petersburg and Kyiv. For the fullest expression of a collection, a flagship is the place to see the range in person.

Beyond his designs, he is recognised for championing skills in the trade. In 2013 Webster was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the New Year Honours specifically for services to training and skills in the British jewellery industry. That focus on nurturing craft is a big part of why peers and institutions hold him in such high regard.

Webster and Shaun Leane are often spoken of together as leading figures of a bold, design-forward generation of British jewellers who started at the bench and built their own houses. Both are known for distinctive, sculptural work rather than conventional fine jewellery. Choosing between them really comes down to which designer's aesthetic speaks to you, since both carry strong reputations.

Yes. In 2007 Webster was awarded an honorary Master of Arts degree from the University for the Creative Arts, the institution that grew from the Medway College of Design where he had trained. It is a fitting acknowledgement of the path from student to internationally recognised designer.

There is. In 2015 Webster published his autobiography, Goldstruck: A Life Shaped by Jewellery, which features photography by Rankin and Amelia Troubridge. It is a good starting point if you want to understand the man and the craft before investing in a piece.