At Simon Prestige Jewellery, you will fall in love with the one-off handmade designs from a Russian jeweller.

Hailing from Odessa in the former USSR, Simon of Simon Prestige Jewellery is a well-reputed jeweller who has been designing and handcrafting exquisite pieces for retailers around Australia for the past thirty years. Supplying directly to the trade, his clients are retailers that sell his range of jewellery to the public.

To get a better understanding of Simon and his art, one first has to understand his history. Odessa is an inviting town with the charm and sophistication that intrigues and captivates anyone. This city has a fascinating history and mood that’s full of enthusiasm and excitement. The construction of Odessa was commissioned a couple of hundred years ago by the Russian Tzarina, Catherine the great, and was, from that time, a Russian colony rather than a Ukrainian city.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of this quaint city is its strong history in the arts that includes the very famous House of Faberge. Having staffed some of the finest goldsmiths and jewellers in its time, this jewellery house used to produce the famous Easter eggs as well as table silver, jewellery, European-style trinkets and Russian-style carvings. Faberge became familiar with the Russian royalty, being commissioned by numerous of its members to design and craft intricate pieces.

The dramatical events of the October revolution in 1917 led to change of the mode and philosophy of the Russian government and as a result, the Faberge factory closed down. From a small jewellery workshop to becoming the largest enterprise in the Russian empire and one of the greatest all over the world, masters of the factory managed to save the technology and still produce fine jewellery in the same traditions today.

Simon was able to take the skills he learnt as an apprentice in that very same factory and apply them to his craft today. Having moved to his new factory showroom in the Melbourne CBD, where all the work is done in-house, his success is a testament of his talent and skill.

Few people can admit to knowing what they wanted to do from an early age. Simon always knew he wanted to become a jeweller and took the necessary steps to achieve his dream. With an enthusiasm for art and craft, together with growing up in an environment that was richly steeped with tradition, his natural flair for creativity led him to pursue a 4-year apprenticeship at the age of 17. Beginning in Odessa, Simon travelled to Italy where he studied for one year before finally migrating to Australia with his family where he completed his apprenticeship.

Having had the opportunity to travel in such a short period of time, Simon was fortunate to pick up skills specific to each region, which he still uses to this day. It is a unique trait that has set him apart from his competitors and given him the opportunity to work with various jewellers who had unique skills of their own.

After gaining valuable experience through working for several jewellers in Melbourne, Simon decided to run his own business beginning with a few commissions from retailers. He then began importing his own coloured stones and diamonds. Today, apart from using these carefully selected gemstones in his jewellery, he also sells them loose to the trade and other jewellery manufacturers.

Sourcing for quality gemstones is something that Simon takes very seriously, travelling at least twice a year to various countries. From Ceylonese sapphires and Colombian emeralds to Burmese rubies and diamonds from Israel and Russia, Simon personally selects each stone together with his wife, Paulina. As a qualified gemmologist and valuation expert, Paulina assesses each stone carefully based on its quality. Simon, on the other hand, will look at each stone from a designer’s point of view. "When I look at a stone, I think about how I will set it and create around it to make it as beautiful as possible," he states. Together, this couple offers the unique combination of beauty and function when it comes to each piece of jewellery.

Specialising in rings, the majority of Simon’s work involves crafting a traditional range of jewellery featuring an element of antiquity. From the Victorian and Gregorian styles to the Art Décor period, Simon also creates more contemporary pieces, which include special orders from retailers. By creating particular designs for particular retailers, Simon Prestige Jewellery has become extremely exclusive. As every single piece is handmade by Simon, these one-off items appeal to the consumer who is looking for that unique, up-market difference that is vastly dissimilar to the mass-produced imported jewellery currently available ubiquitously.

Setting himself apart from his competitors by virtue of his extremely unique range of skills, Simon can also lay claim to the fact that he is one of the sole jewellers to also offer the services of a gemmologist, valuer and gem stone wholesaler.

Although Simon works directly with retailers, consumers can visit his website or contact him for advice regarding where they can purchase his range of jewellery. Consumers can also have a piece custom made or have their stone re-set by contacting one of Simon Prestige Jewellery’s retail clients.

Simon takes great pride in his work. "When somebody appreciates what I’ve done and they wear it for the rest of their lives – that is the ultimate feeling." It is this raw enthusiasm and passion for his work that has led Simon Prestige Jewellery to such great success.

For a closer look at the stunning range of jewellery available click here.