‘Jewellery can give you confidence and be a little bit like armour’

AnnoushkA DucAs founded Links of London with her husband John Ayton, and now has her own brand of fine jewellery, Annoushka, whose fans include the Duchess of cambridge, Gwyneth Paltrow and Emma Watson. she has four children and lives in London and West sussex.

I was very lucky. i didn’t study jewellery or design. i didn’t go to university. i didn’t particularly love jewellery when i was growing up. i sort of fell into this – but i made it happen.

My mum raised me to believe you can do anything. She was incredibly energetic, entrepreneurial, a real force. My dad moved to new York when i was six months old, i was an only child so Mum was my absolute rock. A woman alone fending for herself, she had to be quite brave. First, she made a living importing horses from russia, then she started a business, supplying fish from rye directly to restaurants.

That was how Links of London began. Mum needed to give a present to the 60 chefs she supplied fish to. i had the idea of little fish cufflinks, designed them, and had them made up in silver. it was cheaper to make double the amount, so i took the 60 left over to Harvey nichols and asked if they’d like to sell them. it was scary – i was 24 and working in property – but all they had to do was say no! Links of London started there.

My engagement ring was the first piece of jewellery I designed – because I couldn’t find what I wanted. i thought i wanted an emerald but it didn’t look right on my finger. i ended up with a ruby, which i wasn’t expecting but it had this warmth. that’s what i love about jewellery – it really does speak to you. it’s about the emotions it evokes, or the memories or the story behind it.

Though Links started as cufflinks for men, I quickly realised they all had mothers, wives, girlfriends – so I started designing jewellery for them. when we sold the company after 15 years, it had 50 shops worldwide, and had got a bit big for me. with Annoushka, i enjoy knowing my team and who my customers are.

I particularly love designing rings as they are one of the few items of jewellery a woman can admire on herself. it gives you confidence, a boost to see it and it’s a little bit like armour.

nature is probably my biggest inspiration. we live in the countryside, not far from the sea. there’s nothing as perfect as nature and it’s so amazing to recreate that in a piece of jewellery. >>