STORIES FROM THE ATELIER: EMEFA COLE

i had the opportunity of meeting emefa in london in 2024 thanks to jet, who invited me to visit their Auric event. it was such a lovely evening, and i was immediately drawn to her statement rings: bold, organic and beautifully crafted. her pieces are clearly a labor of love, greatly inspired by her roots in ghana, her deep connection and respect to nature and, of course, her unique creativity. to me, her rings are earth’s treasures. she transforms natural forms found in nature into her own creations, refining and translating them into wearable art.

they feel powerful, almost like shields for women who know what they want... and, perhaps even more importantly, what they don’t.

i had the chance to try several of them on, and i can honestly say there is a shift in energy the moment you wear them. in other words, they are fabulous in that way. it’s my pleasure to share a little of emefa’s story today. if you’d like to discover more about her journey and her work, i highly recommend visiting her website.

EMEFA COLE

My journey into jewellery was by chance. I was on track to study forensic science when, at the very last minute, I wandered into a WH Smith and picked up a copy of Floodlight, the magazine where you could find every course available across UK universities. Flicking through it, I landed on a page for jewellery and silversmithing at the London Guildhall University. I had no idea you could study jewellery at university and it piqued my interest.

Before committing to something I knew nothing about, I decided to try out a ten-week jewellery course at an adult education centre in Fulham, London. I wasn't very good at it in my opinion but I carried on.

I enrolled onto the National Diploma at The London Guildhall, which later merged with North London University to become London Metropolitan University. I was based at the Sir John Cass Department of Arts, Media and Design in Aldgate East. I did an ND, then an HND, then a BA, eventually completing my studies in 2011. It was then, I always say, that the real learning began. At university, you're working to briefs, pushing yourself to the next stage.

Upon leaving university, I applied for many jobs and didn't get a single response. Looking back, it was a blessing in disguise. I also no longer had access to the equipment we were so spoilt with at John Cass, so I decided instead to teach myself lost-wax casting, something I'd only briefly touched on during my studies. The ring I carved during that brief introduction to wax carving still exists to this day, it's not great, but I haven't destroyed it, which says a lot because if I don't like something I will absolutely destroy it and start again.

I learned by trial and error, without tutors or fellow students to critique my work. I had to become my own worst critic, something, I'll admit, I do very well. It was during this period of solitude that I found my voice. I tuned out the outside noise, honed my skills, and worked until I was pleased with what I was making.

My focus had already begun to take shape in my final year at university, with pieces inspired by what lies beneath the surface. I took that further by exploring volcanoes, what exists deep within the earth's core, how it is brought to the surface over time, and the process of erosion, how it slowly reveals things hidden from our view. That is where I go, and I try to go as deep as possible. I do not work to commission in the traditional sense; people come to me because they have seen a piece I made and want something inspired by it.

From 2022 to 2025, I served as Jewellery Curator (Diaspora) at the Victoria and Albert Museum. The V&A holds what I consider to be the world's finest jewellery collection, and it was an extraordinary privilege to spend three years there, adding to it, seeking out contemporary makers from across the globe whose work was of such exceptional quality that it truly belonged within that collection.

There was something interesting about that period. I had always been careful not to look too much at what other makers were doing as when you are developing your own design language, you must be mindful of what you consume. However, as a curator, looking is your entire job. You are documenting the present, which will become the history of tomorrow. So I found myself immersed in the work of some of the finest living makers, while also continuing to develop my own practice.  

Upon reflection, a shift in my work had already begun before I entered the museum. I still have an obsession with the uncontrollable forces of nature and what surfaces slowly over time. I am equally fascinated by humans, particularly the masks and layers of behaviour. Lately, it is my own experiences and emotions which have perhaps lain dormant that are naturally beginning to emerge through my work. I continue to create from my studio at the Goldsmiths’ Centre in Clerkenwell and I am very excited about works in progress.

and here are a few of emefa's rings i tried on at Auric:

@emefacolejewellery