Our vision is to use South Africa’s abundant raw materials and skilled labor to create bespoke, high-quality jewelry that is proudly South African. As Johan Louw, director of Uwe Koetter, has pointed out, South Africa has all the gold for Africa but not enough qualified goldsmiths. That’s why we believe in sourcing and producing every aspect of our pieces locally, from design to raw materials to final product.
Our founder, Rene Honeyman, has been involved in the jewelry industry since 1995, when she began her career as an apprentice. She quickly developed a passion for the manufacturing process and the personal connection she could make with her clients. In 2008, she founded a jewelry academy to ensure that the industry in South Africa continued to train and produce highly skilled goldsmiths.
Throughout our journey, we have remained committed to certain values, including family, skills transference, branding, giving back, and paying it forward. We are proud to say that Rene’s passion for teaching and sharing her techniques has ensured that the “trade secrets” of the industry will not die.