Imagine being able to choose your own stone, being involved in the design process and having your creation realised by a master craftsman jeweller. This dream can now become a reality, thanks to new Penarth jeweller Matthew Mullooly.

A STAR IS BORN

Northern Star Bespoke jewellery is an independent jeweller which is slightly different to the traditional jeweller in the fact that they use the latest CAD technology to design custom made jewellery.

Matt, why did you choose Penarth?
Penarth is a beautiful place. I enjoy living on the coast and everything seems to be on your doorstep. Ultimately people are what make a place and there is a real sense of community here. People want to support small businesses which again gives Penarth a further sense of uniqueness.

What’s your background?
I studied illustration and then multimedia /3d animation at Leeds College of art. Following that I worked for a large jewellery manufactures in Leeds for five years where I began as a trainee goldsmith and followed on to specialise in gem setting. I was made redundant from the manufactures and took the opportunity to relocate to Penarth with my partner, Annie, who is local to south Wales. Annie also works locally as a seamstress in Ginger’s Boutique so we’re definitely keeping things local! I began working for myself by carrying out gem setting work for retail jewellers in Cardiff, London, Manchester and various other parts of the UK.

Who is your typical customer?
My customers are people who enjoy getting involved in the design process, and who have an understanding that it takes time to create the piece that they have always wanted. In simple terms somebody who loves an unique and individual piece of jewellery.

What do you think is your unique selling point?
Although we do keep some stock pieces, I see Northern star as a workshop that’s open to the public. I welcome my customers coming in and watching their jewellery being made.

How do you work?
For the past ten years my trade has been gem setting. I like to combine traditional bench skills with our state-ofthe- art jewellery CAD program. I think it’s a modern twist on making jewellery and enables the customer to view 3D images of their piece at every stage of the process.

How long does the process take?
Once the design has been agreed on, it can take anything from three to six weeks, depending on the complexity of the design.

Can you work to any budget?
Yes, making jewellery is no different to any other manufacturing. There are ways to reduce costs by tweaking elements of the design to fit any budget as long as people are realistic.



At Vale Life it’s easy for us to make glowing references to Matt’s skills but there’s nothing like a bona fide, satisfied customer giving praise, so we chatted to Julie Edwards, and this is what she had to say.

Matt was recommended to me by my mum. They met at Glamorganshire Golf Club and he had made a number of pieces for her. She was so impressed, she suggested I go to him. I had lost a stone from a diamond bracelet, so he replaced and repaired it for me. I was pleased with his work so I went back to him with a with a couple of rings that needed resizing. Also, some of the baguettes in my engagement ring had moved, so he reset the stones for me and it looks fabulous now.

I also had a Cognac diamond just under a carat, loose stone, and wanted him to create something really lovely with it in a ring. He set it in raised white gold on a yellow gold band with two diamonds in the band each side. I was blown away when I saw it, I couldn’t believe he could make such a plain stone look so amazing.

The main piece he did for me was when I took two half carat diamonds from a pair of earrings to him and again, he created a beautiful setting for a ring. I gave him a rough idea of what I wanted but told him I was open minded. He sent me a few photographs via email to let me know how he was getting on, and to make sure I was happy with his progress, and then gave me a call when it was finished.

Again, I was completely blown away with what I received. It was so heavy and solid, and really had the WOW factor. It is modern and classic, but in a way that I feel the design won’t date at all. The setting of the stones was beautiful, and I loved the mixture of white and yellow gold. It is quite a stunning piece and so many people have commented on it.

Matthew is a very talented, creative person and incredibly nice to deal with. I am more than thrilled with the work he has done for me and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend him. I really look forward to working with him again in the near future.

“My customers are people who enjoy getting involved in the design process, and who have an understanding that it takes time to create the piece that they have always wanted.”

Northern Star Bespoke Jewellery 35a Albert Rd, Penarth CF64 1BY 029 2070 9707