Turning Points: 20 Years of New Voices in Jewellery

Maria Doulton, a Bright New Gems (BNG) judge, will explore the moments that have shaped the careers of these three inspirational jewellers. Each is an alumnus of the BNG's programme, which supports emerging makers. They represent an early participant – Katy Tromans – a middle decade participant – Imogen Belfield – and a maker from the most recent cohort – Makila Nsika. Together, they will explore the pivotal decisions, challenges, collaborations and opportunities that have defined their journey from graduation to professional practice.

This event, programmed in collaboration with the Goldsmiths' Centre and funded by the Goldsmiths' Foundation, will provide an insight into how the UK jewellery landscape has evolved through the lens of the BNG alumni, and what new voices need today to build a sustainable career.

Bright New Gems is a not-for-profit industry mentoring and career development programme for graduating BA and MA jewellery designers from UK-based courses.

Over the past two decades, 98 alumni have been supported, many of whom are now established as leading figures in the jewellery industry. The Bright New Gems receive valuable mentoring from our stellar panel of judges and important industry bodies and also showcase their work at the Retail Jeweller Festival.

www.brightnewgems.com

Imogen Belfield continues to push the boundaries with her jewellery collections, developing new designs each season whilst continuing to advance popular signature pieces. Taking inspiration from nature, science and architecture, Imogen Belfield is known for her distinct style of mark making in metal: a fusion between fluidity and texture. She creates unique jewellery sculptures ranging from cascading golden nugget pendants encrusted with precious stones, to statement 'rockesque' rings. Imogen's textural and organic designs are instantly recognisable, one-of-a-kind creations that are handmade in the UK.

Since breaking into the world of fashion and jewellery in 2010, Imogen’s covetable pieces have won the attention from a plethora of super stars: Angela Bassett, Olivia Colman, Sophie Turner, Beyoncé, Nicole Scherzinger, Lorde, Uma Thurman, Reece King, Madonna, Kim Kardashian and Rita Ora. Imogen’s jewellery has also been featured in films: most recently Black Panther - Wakanda Forever, creating Oscar winning pieces for Angela Bassett’s character Queen Ramonda. Previously creating jewellery for Ridley Scott’s ‘The Counsellor’, worn by Cameron Diaz; in television series: Netflix’s ‘The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina’, worn by Tati Gabrielle; music videos: Duran Duran’s ‘Girl Panic’ worn by Naomi Campbell, Helena Christensen, Yasmin Le Bon, Cindy Crawford and Eva Herzigova. Belfield's designs have further acquired prominent press in Vogue, ELLE, Harper's Bazaar and WWD, amongst others. The collections have been snapped up by renowned stockists worldwide including Selfridges, Reinhold Jewelers, Harrods and Harvey Nichols, to name a few.

Over the years, Imogen has received many accolades including ‘Best in Gold’ at the COUTURE Design Awards with her show-stopping ‘Amazonian’ gold and diamond necklace. This year she was shortlisted for the Drapers Awards and Accessories Brand of the Year. Most notably she received recognition in the industry by becoming a graduate of the British Fashion Council’s Rock Vault at London Fashion Week curated by Stephen Webster.

Makila Nsika is a London-based jewellery designer whose work is informed by the artistic traditions of the Republic of Congo. She holds a Master’s degree in French Literature from the Sorbonne and an MA in Design from Central Saint Martins, both awarded with distinction.

Working at the intersection of storytelling, material innovation, and contemporary luxury, Makila founded M.Kala to explore alternative narratives of value and sustainability. Her debut collection was selected for the SHINE programme at the Goldsmiths’ Centre in 2021.

In 2024, her research-led work with palm nut material received major recognition, including the CSM Graduate Award and the LVMH-supported MAISON/0 Award for Sustainability. In 2025, she was awarded the Rising Star Award by New Ashgate Gallery and the Bright New Gems Award for Sustainability.

Through M.Kala, Makila positions the palm nut as a luxury material, bridging traditional knowledge with contemporary design and sustainability discourse.

Katy Tromans is a Senior Lecturer at Birmingham City University’s School of Jewellery. Her role is Course Director for both the Higher National Diploma in Jewellery and Silversmithing and the BA (Hons) Jewellery and Silversmithing – Design for Industry programme. During her time as an academic, Katy has won awards for inclusivity and has worked to steer her courses in ways that best support the needs of the jewellery and silversmithing industry. 

Alongside her full-time academic position, Katy runs a successful jewellery and CAD design practice. Her personal work centres on highly detailed, organic, narrative-led objets d’art designed to tell stories, preserve memories, and enable clients to wear the most meaningful chapters of their lives. She also completes bespoke CAD design work for galleries and companies across the industry. 

Katy’s achievements span a number of notable accolades. She has received a Gold Award from the Goldsmiths’ Craft & Design Council and was named one of Retail Jeweller’s “Top 30 Under 30” rising stars. She has exhibited internationally, including as a Bright Young Gem at International Jewellery London. Her work has also been showcased globally, most prominently at Artistar Jewels during Milan Fashion Week, where she was one of only four award winners selected from 170 jewellers worldwide.

Maria Doulton, co-founder and editor-in-chief of The Jewellery Editor, has been a journalist for more than 25 years, working for, among others, The Financial Times, Telegraph Luxury, The Economist’s Intelligent Life, and the International New York Times, and is one of the most respected journalists in her field.