Written by The Gem Monarchy
A Melbourne-based ethical and sustainable jeweller, Filippa Neij has sprouted into the world of jewellery design through the tumultuous period of the COVID era and has flourished her business into one that is thriving. This article is the story of Filippa and her business By Neij.
ALL NATURAL JEWELLERY FROM START TO FINISH
By Neij has been a completely natural business from start to finish. Filippa first started making jewellery in 2020 during the pandemic, as a drawing into her sense of creativity. From being in the middle of Melbourne’s first lockdown, she decided that she “wanted to make crystal jewellery for herself” to help with the anxiety and stress that came with the lockdown. This sense of enrichment made her feel like “a warm hug had wrapped around her.”
UNIQUE AND SPECIAL FOR EVERY CUSTOMER
By Neij is a business that creates. Every customer is treated specially, with unique designs and considerations created for every individual. Filippa works with incredible materials that give her “a sense of fulfilment knowing I’ve created something unique for someone else that they will carry for many years to come.”
Filippa utilises a combination of wax carving and silver smithing techniques to make her jewellery. Being “highly motivated by the sun and the ocean,” her signature style is equally unique. “I feel that my signature style is imperfect gemstone pieces with sun rays engraved on the outside. This style of jewellery especially draws me in. And it gives off some vibes of ancient jewellery designs, which I love!”
A THIRST FOR KNOWLEDGE
One of the greatest challenges Filippa faced when learning how to run her business was upskilling and learning about the jewellery process. In her words, she needed skills. “When I started I had absolutely no experience in making jewellery.” However, the more she persisted, the stronger her motivation was to learn new skills. This persistence was all intending to create the designs that she envisioned. She took “courses in jewellery making” to overcome many obstacles with the newly acquired knowledge.
A MESSAGE TO FUTURE JEWELLERS
“Honestly, just take your time—slow and steady wins the race. Making jewellery and learning can be a taxing process, so surround yourself with things that can help you grow and develop. My designs come to me when I am grounded and take time to reflect and self-care. When I’m rushing or have a million things on my to-do list, everything is hard. When I get to create in a state of flow and calm, everything feels easy. I believe that living a life you love is the key to success in any business, and focus on what feels good for you, not other people’s expectations of you.”
