Jeweller going it alone in cell

An old police cell is an unlikely  place to establish a diamond couture brand. But Wanaka luxury jewellery designer Alice Herald has done just that.

The cell even has  the remnants of inky handprints on the wall, but  she reckons it’s perfect.

Earlier this year, English-born Ms Herald (37) left 1791 Diamonds, the Wanaka business she co-founded, to focus on her  Herald label. Embarking on a solo career was "pretty daunting" but also "incredibly refreshing".

"I love meeting people and finding out about their stories and about them and then interpreting that in a 3-D form. That is what’s really exciting for me," she said.

She believed many jewellers and designers were "problem-solvers". They did not necessarily know what the end result was going to be but  started along the "roller coaster of design" which resulted in a beautiful, intricate, small art form.

"I’m really inspired by potential: of my designs, of the gemstones, and how I can affect the wearer and their emotions.

"There’s something inside that you can’t quite explain, whether it makes you feel warm, or happy. There’s this sense of empowerment that makes you feel slightly different, something that makes you go ‘wow’," she said.

While she had sold jewellery around the world, now she was mainly focusing on New Zealand and Australia.

Her plan was to eventually have her work displayed in Auckland, Wellington, Melbourne and Sydney, as well as the South, which was now "definitely  home".

Ms Herald and her Australian-born husband, Jon Mactaggart, came to New Zealand 12 years ago to ski and have "time out" from the UK. They never left.

Her love of creating began at an early age and she first fell in love with the art of jewellery design in Mexico. She later gained a BA with honours in jewellery design at Central Saint Martins in London. Her work has been featured around the world, including at London Fashion Week and in the  Australian and Russian Vogue magazines.

At 1791 Diamonds, she handled  the product management and design for eight and a-half years before deciding she wanted to do her "own thing". Designers often got to the stage where they wanted to explore who they were and how to showcase that and the time came earlier this year to do exactly that, she said.

She left 1791 Diamonds on amicable terms in July and has spent the past few months busy designing, in a police cell. Ms Herald works from The Cell, a co-working office space for start-up entrepreneurs, innovators and professionals. "Myriad" people were working in the space and she was in one of four old cells. Her cell  was previously used for processing and when she was asked if she wanted the handprints painted over, she said she wanted it to remain exactly as it was.

Ms Herald and Mr Mactaggart, met while skiing in Austria years ago. They now have two young daughters, Laia (6) and Firn  (4), and she said her husband was "extremely supportive". Mr Mactaggart runs  Black Peak Gelato from his  shop on the Wanaka waterfront.

"People like ice cream," Ms Herald said.

"He now gets people coming from all over the world who have heard about him. You wouldn’t believe the amount of kids he knows in the town. He’s a popular man," she said, laughing.

Black Peak Gelato was launched six years ago and coincided with the arrival of the couple’s  first baby, so it was a "kind of crazy" time.

"Life is a roller coaster. We’re the kind of people, we like change, we embrace change. We lead our life with our hearts, really. If we want to do something, we’ll find a way to do it," she said.

Ms Heard loved not only Wanaka but also New Zealand, enjoying the space and air and the ability to have the time to be creative.

She said there was  a wealth of skilled people in Wanaka and she loved being part of the Upper Clutha community.

"Definitely, I’ve got a dream. I’m living it but I’m also growing it as each day goes past. It’s pretty cool and I feel very, very lucky to be able to explore it and give it a go."

Jewellery was something that was very sentimental and to be able to be part of that journey with someone was "very humbling". The best part was hearing from a client or seeing them open a ring box.

Her couture rings ranged in price from $15,000 to $48,000 and she had also worked with clients who spent "six figures" on an engagement ring. She has also launched a ready-to-wear collection.

Her mentor is  Phil Selby, a 40-year veteran of the diamond industry and a former senior executive with diamond giant DeBeers Group.