“Creativity was always the road I wanted to take in terms of work and mixing this with a passion for crystals felt like the perfect medium to combine the two,” said Full Moon Designs Founder Carole Mourier as she looks back on the inspirations that led to her starting her own jewellery brand.
Full Moon Designs is a boutique jewellery shop that offers truly unique accessories. In fact, no two pieces are alike and according to Carole, each crystal has its own story to tell.”
“One of the things I love about making jewellery is that designs are endless, and a single stone can make a product different to the next, “ she says. “The beauty of having complete artistic freedom is the ability to start with a particular idea and end up with a completely different but equally attractive design.”
We sit down with Carole and talk about the biggest challenges and rewards of starting your own business, the beauty of pursuing your creative freedom, the healing power of crystals, how to support independent businesses and why now could be the best time to take the leap and start your own business too.
Tell us a little bit about yourself and your background – what inspired you to start Full Moon Designs?
After leaving France, I travelled for a few years and came to the UK only intending to stay for a short period of time. I started various art courses and then studied jewellery design for three years.
After studying various techniques and styles I wanted to be in control of my own creativity and designs, which inspired me to start my own business and launch my store in Brixton Village. I feel that I have complete freedom of expression in order for my designs to flow.
Creativity was always the road I wanted to take in terms of work and mixing this with a passion for crystals felt like the perfect medium to combine the two.
What made you fall in love with jewellery design – and why did you decide to work with natural stones?
Since a very young age, I was always interested in art and jewellery. When travelling, I was fascinated by the jewellery women were wearing, especially tribal jewellery as they hold a sense of history and ancient traditions. Working with natural stones which have a unique shape and texture, I centre my designs around the crystal itself paying a lot of attention to colours also as they play an important role in the composition of a piece.
One of the things I love about making jewellery is that designs are endless, and a single stone can make a product different to the next. I am also interested in the healing side of crystals which is an important part of my jewellery business. The beauty of having complete artistic freedom is the ability to start with a particular idea and end up with a completely different but equally attractive design.
What do you think sets Full Moon Designs apart from other jewellery brands today?
What sets Full Moon Designs apart, is the versatility of the designs from the small and delicate to the big and bold, different shapes, styles and each piece being unique.
One of the key differentiators of Full Moon Designs is that no two pieces are alike.
Could you tell us more about this and why you believe that “each piece has a story to tell?”
When making jewellery, I never think of doing two pieces alike as I feel each crystal deserves its own design. Each piece is a representation of a shape which often has a meaning.
For example, geometric shapes are fascinating as they have a connection with everything from natural occurring organisms to everyday man-made objects. Organic shapes are also interesting as they often represent nature and the unique flow of life. Crystals can combine these two factors with almost perfect geometry seen in certain crystals such as quartz or a raw uniqueness of a Lapis Lazuli. They can also enhance this as they bring meaning in a physical and spiritual way, so the result is always positive.
What has been the biggest challenge you’ve overcome as a businesswoman?
As a businesswoman, one of the biggest challenges has been raising a family, not giving up designing and making jewellery. I’ve always felt that expectations from society as a mother were not always the ones, I had of myself.
It was difficult at times to even feel inspired but took a lot from these experiences and I now look back on these periods of time and feel proud that the business survived. The other thing is a lot of businesses I deal with in terms of supply, materials etc… often do not have enough women as owners.
What advice do you have for our readers who want to show their support for independent businesses like yours amid the COVID-19 crisis?
This last year has been extremely challenging for all businesses but especially small businesses like mine. I believe it is crucial that people support small independents like myself, not only to help us survive and create but also to make the world of retail more diverse, unique and interesting.
During the pandemic most small businesses have now gone online so there are opportunities to shop from independent retailers, but the experience of entering a small shop or boutique and having a face to face interaction with someone will never be replicated through a laptop or a phone. Especially for artists like myself where customers can come in, browse and see the jewellery, enquire about it, it brings a personal touch! We can all transcend this situation as long as people think that we bring them value and something different.
What advice do you have for our readers who want to become a Girl Boss like yourself?
I think it is a very good time for women who want to start their own business as a lot of people have had time to evaluate their life and maybe want to change and have a different experience with new values and new outcomes.
There is a huge reward to being your own boss with the benefits and the responsibilities that it incurs and brings infinite rewards to create something that brings value to others. A lot of women think it is too scary to start a new business now but if you have an idea then why not try? As we are in a time of change, it might actually be the perfect opportunity. I have found that since last year that there has been an awakening and a new awareness in the way a lot of customers want to shop, bringing hope to all small businesses.
Comments are closed.