Age: 31
Occupation: Jewelry designer
Instagram: @sophiezamel
Hometown: Sydney.
Studio location: Potts Point, Sydney.
Describe what you make: The pieces are a small selection of some of the finest materials on our planet. They are sourced with the environment always at the forefront of our decision making. For me, the gleam of polished gold or play of light on an expertly cut stone hints of a connection to an otherworldly place, which allows my mind to wander…
The most important thing you’ve designed to date: I just released my debut earring collection, Free-form. I sourced particular stones with a team of diamond miners who work outside of the Arctic Circle in the barren lands of Northwest Territories of Canada and with a community of artisanal miners based in the Selenge Province in northern Mongolia. It’s amazing to be able to partner with people from all corners of the earth to bring each piece to fruition. It’s important to realize what a small place the world is, with the resources we share, and must cherish, and that global borders are just a technicality.
Describe the problem your work solves: To be able to define a moment or express gratitude with a piece of jewelry, without doing so at the expense of others.
Describe the project you’re working on now: I’m sourcing beautiful colored stones to bring a new concept to fruition that came to me a couple of weeks ago at a retreat. A large portion of my time is spent scouring and locating precious materials that are of an exceptional quality from like-minded suppliers.
A new or forthcoming project we should know about: There are quite a few projects in the pipeline, from a custom neckpiece for a New York gentleman to sourcing as previously mentioned, and a somewhat odd collaboration. I feel it is a little early to share, but can’t wait until they are out in the world.
What you absolutely must have in your studio: Solitude and dark chocolate to ride me through a creative spike.
What you do when you’re not working: I love discovering a city by foot, so I spend lots of time walking around different neighborhoods. I’m a regular at the Koi pond near where I work, where I like to lie on the grass and soak up some rays, or I head to a great secondhand bookstore nearby.
Sources of creative envy: Leonard Koren for addressing esoteric topics and Kenya Hara for his apparent stillness.
The distraction you want to eliminate: Open tabs on my browser.
Concrete or marble? Marble.
High-rise or townhouse? Townhouse.
Remember or forget? Guilty of forgetting, but love to be reminded.
Aliens or ghosts? Aliens and angels.
Dark or light? Natural light.
