Gift Focus inc Attire Accessories - Page number 111 - November/December 2021

111 COMPANY PROFILE Silver linings Caroline Scott, Founder of Siren Silver jewellery brand, explains how the company connects with its customers thanks to the team’s passion for its product When did you start up and why? I started my retail shop in London in 1990 after having had a stall at Camden Market in the 1980s, selling my own original handmade clothing range. I travelled to India to buy unusual fabrics and then sourced some silver jewellery to sell. I then went on to make my own designs using gorgeous gemstones – at that time easily available – and found the artisan workshops there very open to making what I wanted. I concentrated on the fantastic natural stones available and even today still sell some of the simple earring styles that I created. The beauty of the natural stones still shines out, and although they are far more scarce, the long-term contacts I have made allow us to continue to get fantastic gemstones. What prompted you to launch the business? I started to sell my jewellery collection to other shops but realised that selling wholesale wasn’t cost effective on a small scale, so I launched Siren Silver Ltd as a wholesale company and did my first trade fair at Top Drawer in May, 1995. I met lots of new customers there who loved the collection, some of whom I am thrilled to say are still loyal customers. What challenges have you overcome since the company’s launch? The fluctuations in the price of silver have challenged us, but nothing has interrupted us as much as UK retail closures and lockdown in India due to COVID. Tell us about your product offering. We sell sterling silver and semi-precious stone jewellery as our core collection. In the past few years I have also designed some brass jewellery, which sells for far less than sterling silver and has become very popular, especially with fashion shops.