About BeeJewelled | BeeJewelled

I am a jewellery designer based in Gascony with my family

My name is Freya and I am the Queen Bee here at BeeJewelled. Hello!

I live and work at home with my son and my mum, and together we enjoy all which comes from that. We call the beautiful Gers in the Gascony region of Southern France home, and count our blessings everyday for that!

BeeJewelled is about 3 things:

Exploring the beauty of natural gemstones, pearls, crystals and metals
Enjoying the process of creating unique designs to make you feel special when you wear them
Protecting the Earth by saving the bees and recycling!

Natural Beauty

Gemstone

I adore gems! Their colours, their character, their feel. The countless ways in which they can be cut and shaped. I love the way their facets gleam in the light, and how the depths of colours and markings shine through to make each stone individual.

Whether you believe in the healing nature of gemstones or not, one cannot deny their beauty and charisma. Working with them is both calming and energising. They inspire me. As I create one piece, I am already dreaming up three more. Working with them brings me peace and calm, and I find myself wearing them more and more to prolong the effect.

Crystal

Crystals are just as fascinating and I enjoy pairing the two to beautiful effect. My crystals are all either Austrian crystal or genuine Swarovski crystal, because nobody can work light as the Austrians can!

Pearl

I also work with pearls. Only cultured freshwater pearls farmed from sustainable sources. I do not believe in ravishing the beauty of the Earth for our own enjoyment. Because of this, my pearls are what are known as ‘rice’ and ‘potato’ pearls. They are not uniform in shape or colour, and I love them for it! I think this gives them such personality and individuality.

Pearls are the epitome of timeless elegance, and I like to bring them singing into the 21st century with fun designs and unique pairings. Many of my pieces are one-offs, because of the distinctive nature of the pearls I source.

Metal

I use a variety of metals in my designs, including 925 Sterling Silver, stainless steel, copper and some plated metals. Mostly I use Sterling Silver, because of its beauty, strength and affordability, and I source it from the United Kingdom.

Some of the charms in my jewellery are made from Tibetan Silver, to help keep costs down. Tibetan silver is made primarily of Sterling Silver, with other metals and materials making up approximately 7% of the item. In general it does not cause reactions, however it always includes an alloy of other metals such as zinc, tin, copper or nickel, which you should be aware of.

My silver earrings always use 925 Sterling hooks or studs, and my gold earrings are on 14ct filled Gold or Rose Gold. The same goes for all chains, clasps and findings unless otherwise stated. However, due to the cost of gold, I tend not to keep much in stock, therefore, the order may take a little longer. More details can be found on the individual product pages, and I’ll do my best to get your order shipped out as soon as possible, but in general please allow 1-2 weeks.

Saving the Earth

I am a proud supporter and regular donor to the Bumblebee Conservation Trust charity, whose mission is to halt and then reverse the decline of bumblebees. At least 10% of every single purchase goes to the trust, and if you aren’t aware of the importance of bees then read on!

Impact of Bumblebee Decline

It is well-known that bumblebees are great pollinators, and therefore have a key role in producing much of the food that we eat. Through the pollination of many commercial crops such as tomatoes, peas, apples and strawberries, insects are estimated to contribute over £600 million per annum to the UK economy (2015), and in doing so prop up the £108 billion per-year food and drink industry in Britain. Across the EU, insect pollinators are estimated to contribute €14.2 billion annually to the EU economy (2012). If bumblebee and other insect pollinator declines continue, the extremely high cost of pollinating these plants by other means could significantly increase the cost of fruit and vegetables (hand-pollinating British crops has been estimated to cost £1.8 billion annually).

Bumblebees also help pollinate many wildflowers, allowing them to reproduce. Without this pollination many of these plants would not produce seeds, resulting in declines in both abundance and distribution for a range of species. As these plants are often the basis of complex food chains, it is easy to imagine how other wildlife such as other insects, birds and mammals would all suffer if bees disappeared.

Recycling

Furthermore, I do all I can to ease our negative effects on the planet with serious recycling efforts for BeeJewelled. How?

I reuse my packaging. You are likely to find your purchase arriving in a used jiffy bag. Please don’t be offended! I simply don’t see the point in using them once then throwing away something which has lots of life left in it. Feel free to use it again!
My Gift Wrapping consists of recycled Kraft boxes and pillow boxes, stuffed with shredded recycled or simply used paper, and tied with recycled twine.
Behind the scenes, my stock is kept in little bags which are used again and again and again!
Your purchase will arrive in a pretty organza bag. Please continue to use it!

We only have one planet, and we only get one chance, let’s protect it.

I Do More Than Sell Jewellery

Custom Jewellery Order

Please contact me if you would like to talk about commissions or variations to any of my pieces; if you love a design but it’s only available in red Garnet and purple is your colour, I can help you – that’s the beauty of buying handmade direct from the maker! Drop me an email and I’ll get back to you within a day or two.

I’m also on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram – links are in the footer at the bottom of the page.

Shows/Fairs/Events

I am based in the Gers, in Southern France, and often have a stall at events local to Mirande/Auch and would love to attend yours with my mum and son (he’s 7). If you think BeeJewelled would be a good fit for your show or event then please do get in touch and let me know what, where and when it will be.

Follow me on Facebook to be kept abreast of where we will be and come visit us. Whilst I strive to take great pictures which really show off my jewellery, nothing beats seeing the sparkle in ‘real life’ and feeling the smooth weight of the gems in your palm!

Weddings

How would it make you feel to be wearing bespoke, unique, made-for-you jewellery on your big day? Imagine a necklace of shimmering pearl, sparkling crystal and clear Silver, made to fit you exactly. I can also create something special for your Bridesmaids and the all important Mothers of the Bride & Groom, bringing in some coloured gemstones to mach your colour scheme perfectly.

Jewellery Making Parties

If you’re looking for a party idea for your girls’ night, works’ do, hen party or even a Mum & Daughter party, then how about a spot of designer jewellery making? In the comfort of your own home, or a venue of your choosing, I will bring the gemstones, crystals, pearls and all of the tools to you. I’ll instruct your guests on how to design and create their very own piece of bespoke jewellery, and will help them at every step. Fun is guaranteed and your ladies will feel so proud of their beautiful achievement which will be a reminder of your event for a long time to come! Contact me for prices.

Host a Party

If making isn’t your thing but buying is, and you want to enjoy hugely discounted jewellery, then why not host a jewellery party? All the rage in the US, this is an opportunity to play hostess to your friends and get your hands on some gorgeous jewellery at the same time. How do they work?

pick a date and invite 10-20 friends (the more who come = more jewellery for you!)
I will come to you and set up some gorgeous displays in one or two rooms of your home (or wherever you wish to hold the event)
you don’t need to go to much effort; remember they are coming to shop, not to eat!
your friends get to socialise with you and with other like-minded ladies whilst shopping for beautiful gemstone jewellery away from the pressure of a shop and salespeople
as the hostess, you get a BeeJewelled voucher which increases the more jewellery your friends purchase; so the more they buy, the more freebies for you!
you also get a bespoke handmade bracelet, with any gems you choose, regardless of how much they spend. Just to say thanks for being the Hostess!
I will be on hand to answer any questions, take payments and make any necessary adjustments. You need do nothing but shop, mingle and enjoy yourself!