Natasha Schweitzer

My sister and I started our brand when we were both very young (19 and 22), so neither of us had much experience in running a business, but we did already have a lifetime of knowledge in the world of jewellery, as our mother was, and still is, an amazing goldsmith and gemologist. We often joke that we grew up in her tiny workshop, but there is so much truth in that statement. We had this rare first-hand experience growing up and being constantly surrounded by diamonds, gemstones and precious metals, as we watched highly skilled jewellers create art with their hands.

While it may seem that our career paths were already paved, Alex and I had never planned on working in the jewellery industry, we actually both have university degrees in vastly different fields. Even while we were studying, we were always designing and making jewellery for ourselves and friends on the side, so I guess in some way, we have always been in business.

I look for inspiration for our designs in so many areas of life, from our archives, to places I visit or books I read. I play with diamonds or gemstones placements, test new ideas with our jewellers, or run an idea by my sister or our team. The inspiration part is only one small element of the creativity process—I feel strongly that the actual design, creativity, and ability to bring a modern sensibility to each piece of jewellery is often more difficult to execute than an idea.

I always design jewellery that I want to wear myself, and am very conscious that we create pieces that will be worn past a season. I design each piece intentionally, with care for beauty and longevity—always considering how our clients will wear their jewellery for decades to come.

Our brand signature has always been a collision of old-world meets modern sensibility. I love creativity and artistic design, but I like things stripped back—simpler. I want the jewellery we create to be wearable and without too much fuss. Modern and timeless elements are always at the forefront of our work, from our signature letter collection to wrapped engagement rings—my hope is that Natasha Schweitzer jewellery is always quietly iconic.

The process of working on a bespoke piece with a couple is usually centred around our engagement ring or wedding band collections. We often start with an initial appointment to try on our sample engagement rings or wedding bands and view images of our past work. Clients can request lose diamonds or gemstones to view in their appointment if they know what they are looking for, but we always have a selection to view. All of our Diamond Specialists are GIA trained, and can source the best stones for our clients, no matter where they are located in the world.

The design process works similarly, whereby we walk through design options and really listen to what our clients desires are in creating their very special piece. We put emphasis on the design as much as the diamond, and I think that is what makes the Natasha Schweitzer experience so special. Our clients can be as involved as they like in the sourcing, design process and whole journey, but we are confident to take on projects without assistance if required, and will always go to the far corners of the earth to find the perfect diamond or gemstone.

Creating pieces that hold such special meaning is not lost on us, so we take the time to carefully consider each design and how it will be worn and loved. We want every single detail of our engagement ring experience to be perfect, and to deliver a finished product that has executed our standard to the highest level, always ensuring that our clients are in love with the final piece. Engagement rings really go beyond the realm of just sentimental objects, and enter this rare territory of a personal signature and symbol of a lifelong commitment and love.

We are quite conservative when it comes to taking the design and concept to our jewellers benches, noting that a piece like an engagement ring or wedding band will be often worn all day every day. We consider each design with the lifestyle of our clients—many of us travel often, have children, cook in the kitchen, run around with our pets and maintain a fairly physically active lifestyle. We design and build our engagement rings and wedding bands to last through the chaos of life, with care.

For all custom pieces, whether it be a diamond engagement ring or a custom emerald dress ring, we consider both wearability and longevity a key factor in the physical and design sense. We try not to fall into trend-based design, and rather commit to our brands signature, which is always timeless.

We preserve inherited techniques and design at all cost. I am not interested in disruption or fashion-led trends when I design, I am looking for long-lasting, timeless, elegance etc. I disturbed the industry 10 years ago when I was designing bolder pieces when tiny demi-fine jewellery was in ‘fashion’, and yet, I was really just forming our brands voice based on inherited design values and ideas. Everything that is old was once new, and I think we are seeing so much old-world design that is currently trending, which really speaks volumes.

“I design each piece intentionally, with care for beauty and longevity—always considering how our clients will wear their jewellery for decades to come.”

We are sisters, business partners, best-friends, we live 2 minutes away from each other, and are otherwise inseparable. Working and navigating our business together is absolutely not without challenges, but we feel that having each other has provided the ability for us to create an incredible company and maintain our personal lives. We have complete trust in each other, and have similar values and morals that guide our business and personal lives, so we are very grateful. Alex is about to give birth to her first child, and she completely trusts me to lead the company while she is taking time off with her son. It is in these moments that our gratitude for each other, for our family, and for our team becomes very apparent.

Alex and I run very different departments—Alex in production while I am in the design space. Our areas intertwine constantly, but our strengths are held in different areas which is incredibly important and powerful for us. I think that having different skills and abilities has been very powerful for us and has enabled the business to grow because there is an extra set of hands leading the company.

We have always led the way for non-traditional engagement ring designs, with a rapidly growing following and demand for our more creative engagement ring styles in Australia and the US. Couples are inundated with images of engagement rings and proposals on social media, that I feel the constant exposure has shifted peoples attention and made shopping for an engagement ring a little tricky if the desired outcome is an individual or unique design. I think the industry as a whole is becoming a little hive-minded, in that, we are seeing the same design or idea in so many places. I really worry that design and individuality is fading in the jewellery world, and that there is little care for copying designs or reproducing someone else’s idea.

I think the biggest change that we have seen recently is the requests for coloured stones—sapphires, rubies, emeralds, yellow diamonds etc. With the rise of lab diamonds, clients have made a push towards coloured stones, which are now a rarer sight than a 2ct oval diamond.

Opening our boutiques in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. Our stores are a massive part of our business, and we are constantly in awe of how beautiful our spaces are and how amazing it is that we can offer our jewellery in some of the most high-end shopping streets in Australia.

Aside from being frequented in publications like French, US and Australian Vogue, or all of our celebrity moments, I would also say that achieving a mention in the Forbes 30 under 30 list was a huge honour for us.

Over the past decade, we have grown the business in a steady and intentional way, and we plan to continue that path, from every store opening to new product release. Our goal is always that our brand is more than just us, that our designs go beyond trends, time or place, and that we continue to be seen for our identifiable signature and craftsmanship on the global jewellery stage.