ABOUT
THE STORY OF EDITH & KIVEEN
Nicola with her grandmothers
Edith and Kiveen
TWO GRANDMOTHERS
EDITH & KIVEEN
Edith possessed a calm inner strength and softly-spoken wisdom. With an under-stated but energetic flair for inventiveness, her brilliant creativity manifested itself in beautiful knitting and crocheting – in the mid 60's she crocheted a stunning wedding dress and cap – and was matched only by the humility with which she wore it. She also baked the best scones and apple pies ever!
Kiveen was simply larger than life, an outré artist with a unique sense of style and firm belief in the the importance of creativity and colour to a life well-lived. An outspokenly powerful woman who dared to challenge conventions at a time when convention strove to limit the reach of her imagination, her outlook was bold, her flair boundless, her joie de vivre and originality inspiring. She didn't bake!
Theirs was a friendship that defied expectations. They enjoyed a strong mutual admiration, respect and a very genuine affection.
And as enduring and beautiful as a treasured gemstone, lustrous, strong and magical. Our jewellery reflects the qualities they possessed as individuals and through their friendship.
It reflects the fascination with colour, radiance and boundless creativity that they encouraged. Bringing together the unusual and the classic, characterised by colour, intricacy and fluidity.
Above all, it celebrates a special bond.
Nicola has a life-long fascination with jewellery, and even more than colour, intricacy and fluidity, it is jewellery's ability to protect, empower and bring joy as well as to excite and intrigue that drives her.
She started by designing delicate ‘magic’ bracelets for friends and family to help chase away self-doubt. Some of these pieces have now been worn for over 10 years. Her jewellery is about giving self-confidence, or demonstrating it, whether in a bespoke piece or by reincarnating an existing piece.
INTUITIVE DESIGNER
Nicola loves transforming the old.
"Its so sad to think of all those old and forgotten pieces which never see the light of day, I love releasing them!"
One of her most popular commissions is to take a traditional engagement ring - usually Granny's or Great Aunt's - never now worn and transforming it into a stylish necklace to be worn every day.
Madeleine Albright, the former U.S. Secretary of State, always wore a brooch or a pin to convey her messages. Nicola’s favourite quote of hers is “There is a special place in Hell for women who don’t help other women”.
In her life as a lawyer Nicola mentored and supported many women, and she continues to do this wherever and whenever she can!
"I do feel particularly privileged to be able to create jewellery to make that process a little more bearable for those women and even fun."
Her style is colourful, mixing unusual palettes within intricate designs and she has an obsession with pieces being comfortable – her tearhug bracelet in the Fortuna collection for example, really does hug the wearer.
The results are unique and instantly classic, lustrous and shimmering gemstones in beautiful settings, reinforcing the Fabergé axiom that jewels should load women in colour and light, adding to this principle an organic, under-stated caveat of simplicity and quality.
Many of the photos on this site are taken by Nicola of people, places and pieces she loves. Her niece Ellie Reed Mumford took most of the Party photos.
CONTACT
NICOLA
To enquire about a bespoke commission
or acquiring a piece from the collections, please contact Nicola at edithandkiveen@gmail.com
You can also request to join the mailing list, which is by invitation only.