Lora's jewellery is a real gem for stores

The 26-year-old who has made bespoke jewellery for royalty, TV celebrities and pop stars has now started selling her products in high-end department store John Lewis.

Lora, whose ethos is British design, British manufacture, said she was thrilled to see her products being sold in the Solihull store, and is very excited about them being sold in the new Birmingham shop which is due to open in 2014.

The former Tividale High School pupil first started making jewellery whilst studying art at Dudley College. For her final project on her course she started to work with metal and tried making jewellery.

She was so pleased with the results, and enjoyed the process so much that she gave up her place at university to work in the Jewellery Quarter and learn the art of her trade.

In 2006 she was awarded a grant by the Prince's Trust which gave her the scope to set up her own business called Jewellery by Lora Leedham.

As well as selling her handmade jewellery online and in a number of shops Miss Leedham whose workshop is based at The Merlin Centre for Contemporary Design on Warstone Lane has made a necklace for the Duchess of Cornwall and pin for Prince Charles. She has also made jewellery for Andy Murray's mother Judy, pop stars Pixie Lott and Sophie Ellis Bextor and presenter Janet Street Porter, as well as cuff links for Alan Sugar and Adrian Chiles.

She said: "Sometimes I don't know who I am making the jewellery for. All the agents said when they called was that they wanted necklaces for TV presenters who were appearing on That Sunday Night Show, but not who they were. I had to watch it to find out it was Sophie Ellis Bextor and Janet Street Porter."

Lora, who lives in Halesowen, works mostly alone but does have a team of eight people who she will sub contract work out too. An item of jewellery can take between one and 15 hours of work, depending on its complexity, and she works with gold, silver, platinum and the new hallmarked metal palladium. Her designs start as sketches in a note book, and are mostly based on the natural world. She will often work by carving the designs out in wax before casting them in the metal.

The jewellery designer first approached John Lewis a year ago, and when she visited store bosses in London was initially told their buying window was closed. But after showing them her designs, and talking to them about her products they opened it up again, just for her.

She said: "I was thrilled. When I came back after the meeting I had to pinch myself to make sure it was real. It has however taken a year, and I did wonder whether it would ever actually happen. There have been times when I have been close to tears and there have been some sleepless nights, but I am so pleased to finally see my jewellery in a John Lewis store."

She has four of her ranges in the department store in Solihull, and they will also be sold in the new store in Birmingham when it opens.

Lora is now looking forward to the future. She has started a gemmology course at the Birmingham City University so she can become a valuer, and she is hoping for some more celebrity and royal commissions.

She added: "That's what I enjoy most, making something individual. I would love to design something for the Duchess of Cambridge. I have always said I don't want to be famous but I would love it, if my jewellery was."