So, you’ve seen the beautiful images and bought the gorgeous jewellery, but it’s high time I gave you a further peek into Liri – who is Liri, where are we from and what exciting developments can you expect over the coming months.
Well, here I am – the designer and founder of Liri……..
My name is Natalie, and I was born and raised in Port Talbot (via Aberystwyth), Wales, UK, before moving to the paradise island of Mauritius 3 years ago. I’ve been designing and making genuine gemstone and silver jewellery for 6 years but have been fascinated by the sparkle of gemstones from a very early age (I remember thinking I could find diamonds inside rocks in my garden, asking my father to crack them open for me?!!). I currently live in Black River on the west coast of the island and am grateful every day for the abundance of inspiration around me – the colours, the beaches, the people…..Liri is everything about Mauritius in jewellery form. Liri means ‘freedom’ in Albanian, and Mauritius truly makes you feel free.
So, what other interesting facts about me? Let’s see…….I’m learning to play golf (it’s sooo much harder than you think, me saying it was an old man’s game has come back to bite me), I enjoy yoga (but have slacked off a bit the past few months) and I love to spend time soaking up the sun with my friends. I enjoy drinking white wine whilst watching a glorious sunset and also have 2 adorable nieces, who I can’t get enough of when I am back to the UK.
So, why and where did Liri begin? I founded Liri in early 2017 because the creative inspiration in Mauritius was such that I felt it would be a disservice if I did not create gemstone jewellery that brought the vibrancy of Mauritius to life. Even now, I can’t keep up with the weight of inspiration and have so many jewellery collections waiting to develop and bring to you….keep your eyes peeled over the next few months, you will truly love what is in store.
It’s been a fantastic journey since the beginning and I’m so very luck to work with some great people – Melanie Francoeur who is not only a talented photographer but a great coffee and walking companion, Gaby Lenferna for capturing Liri’s essence in her graphic designs, Vincent Coowar who always styles our models to perfection (he also makes me feel like a million dollars when he gets his hands om my hair), our creative director, Rafal Leja from the fantastic Oui Oui Fashion boutique who always knows what looks good, and the talented Seb Waligorski who is a web design and marketing genius. Behind every successful brand is a strong team and I’m so grateful to these guys for everything they’ve done to make Liri what it is today, I can’t wait to see what we can achieve in 2019.
But if you’ve never heard of Liri, what type of jewellery can you expect? I make jewellery for the simple fact that I love jewellery; if I didn’t love it I couldn’t create collections with such passion and excitement. Every piece I make is something I would wear myself – I’ve tried making jewellery just to follow a certain trend, but if I don’t get that certain feeling (it is actually a gut feeling when I create something I truly love), I won’t put it for sale. How can I create something that I don’t believe in or feel passion for? And that is what you get when you buy a piece of Liri jewellery – something created because I loved making it and truly believe in what I have designed. You will never find anything ‘churned out’ just for the sake of creating a collection, rather each range is the result of months of thought and trialling, before it is brought to you.
I don’t know about you, but I wear jewellery to feel special – it’s that extra something that can make you truly stand out, and that is why all Liri pieces are limited editions. I have purposefully ensured this because I want you to feel special and unique in your Liri creation. No more than 100 of each piece is made, so you know you’re not wearing something mass produced.
I also like to keep things fresh and over the next few months, in addition to the 13 collections already available, you will be seeing some new and innovative designs – still with Liri’s signature of plenty of statement pieces and colourful gemstones, but I will be adding many more handmade sterling silver charms, geometric shapes, collections with pearls and silver shells and some funky, easy to wear pieces for a more casual look. The only difficulty I have is trying not to bombard you with all the great ideas that I have – I must pace myself!
However, if you see something that isn’t quite right for you, or whether you want something totally unique to you, you are welcome to get in touch to co-design a bespoke piece of jewellery. I thoroughly enjoy working with clients who have an idea in mind and would love to bring it to life. We work on everything from the gemstone, the size, whether you want to make a statement or prefer something more understated. We can also make something that has that special meaning just for you, to commemorate a loved one, an event, even your birthstone……just let me know.
Liri jewellery is made and based in Mauritius. You’re probably wondering where Mauritius actually is – on some maps we are just a word, the island is that small, but we are situated in the tropical Indian Ocean, just east of Madagascar – if you’ve not been, it is well worth a holiday – I can even recommend you great hotels and sightseeing. Yes, Mauritius is far and you may think ‘If I order online, will I get my jewellery, how long will it take?’. Fear not, all jewellery is sent registered post and free of charge, and takes a maximum of 10 days (usually much less) to get to the UK, just plan ahead for any special occasions, and we will do the rest. Liri’s website it completely secure, where you can pay via Paypal. If you feel that what you buy is not quite for you, you can also return it unworn – not a problem; buying with Liri coul not be simpler. With Liri you are going to get a personal service – I answer all messages and will work with you to ensure you get exactly the piece you want.
I hope you’ve enjoyed reading a bit about me and what is coming up, I may actually start appearing in some videos soon (if I am brave enough), but if you want to know anything else, or have any further questions, please do get in touch via email (info@yourliri.com), Facebook, Insta or via our website.