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Our ‘Maker of the Month’ series takes a closer look at the talented designer-makers at Oxo Tower Wharf on London’s South Bank. Each month highlights a new designer-maker and explores each maker’s story, product, and creative process.
As part of our final instalment, we spoke to Josef Koppmann who makes bespoke handmade jewellery at Oxo Tower Wharf.
Josef Koppmann’s jewellery is predominantly made from sterling silver overlaid with 24ct gold using traditional techniques, handmade in his showroom on London’s South Bank.
In Josef’s own words, he says:
“I’m originally from Italy and I’ve been making jewellery here in London for almost 28 years, predominantly for women but also for men. My jewellery range includes cuff links, dress studs, rings and more, as well as bespoke commissions.
I studied at an arts and crafts college in Vienna, Austria, studying jewellery and metalwork for 3 years before doing a 5 year traditional apprenticeship close to my hometown in the German-speaking part of Italy. I then worked for a number of other jewellers before setting up my own workshop in London.
I have been creating jewellery at Oxo Tower Wharf for 13 years. What I like most about the Oxo Tower Wharf community is the mix of creative disciplines. We all share a common goal of going against mass production. We’re all individual designer-makers and produce on the premises, something which you rarely see nowadays. It’s particularly nice that all of us are working towards the same goal.
I find working on London’s South Bank really inspirational as I love modern architecture, and there is no better place to be than the South Bank for that! I’ve got the lovely brutalist building of the National Theatre next door to me, and as my studio looks across the river Thames, I look into the city with lots of modern architecture. I really enjoy that cityscape which inspires a lot of my designs.
When creating jewellery, my creative process is very ‘hands on’ most of the time. I look at a building and try to find ways of interpreting that building into a ring, bracelet, or necklace. It may start off with a stone, which is the centre and the focal point of the piece, which is then worked around, but it’s pretty much hands on.
When customers decide to shop small and support independent businesses, they’re getting a personal, individual shopping experience with handmade products. Consumers are becoming more and more aware of where products are made, and how it’s made. People are starting to become fed up with mass consumerism and mass production, which is often quite soulless.
The products I’d like to highlight are my new series of rings. They’re byzantine inspired and have extraordinary cut stones made with smoky quartz. The quartz is cut either with laser or kaleidoscope cut, which just gives it an amazing light display quite unlike traditional facets.
If I had to describe my jewellery in three words, I’d say: ‘Big, bold, and beautiful!’”.
Find out more about Josef on his Instagram and website:
Meet our designer-makers at Oxo Tower Wharf:
