THE VILLAGE GOLDSMITH STORY
Capturing Stories. Crafting Memories.
Ian Douglas began his career as an apprentice where his talent and meticulous craftsmanship was recognised early on when he was awarded New Zealand Jewellery Apprentice of the Year. In 1981 he opened The Village Goldsmith in Kelburn – a suburb of Wellington, New Zealand. Ian’s boundless curiosity, passion for art, architecture and inspiration from hearing his client’s stories and memories have propelled him to set a new standard for creativity and quality of craftsmanship in the jewellery industry.
In 1997, our expanding team of creatives and craftspeople - including Ian’s wife, Christine - moved to a larger premises in the historic building that housed a newspaper and printery for over 50 years. The Dominion Building is now home to The Village Goldsmith’s showroom, global design studio, and on-site workshop.
Directors Ian Douglas, Christine Douglas, and Chris Benham, together with their innovative team, continue to push the boundaries of design and fine jewellery craftsmanship. The team has won or been a finalist in over 20 national and international design and business awards.
Ian is a former Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Finalist and Chris Benham is a former winner of the Jewellery World Awards (previously JNA) Award for Young Leader of the Year from London Stock Exchange Listed UBM Asia. Notably, the Inspired Delicate Collection was a finalist at the 2016 UK Jewellery Awards.
Today, The Village Goldsmith is trusted for expert, personalised advice and service. The experienced and passionate team delight in collaborating closely with clients. Whether creating a custom bespoke piece of jewellery, restoring a treasured family heirloom piece, or working with couples to design and craft an engagement or wedding ring which is as unique as their individual love story – the entire team are committed to creating stunning jewellery that will be treasured for generations.
Our latest innovation - The Floeting®Diamond - has achieved global recognition winning the International 2022 Red Dot Design Award for Product Design and featured in many international publications. Praised for its minimalist elegance, the product's design focuses on showcasing the brilliance of gemstones.
Here are some other proud moments...
ESPERANZA PENDANT
The Village Goldsmith team was entrusted with designing a fine jewellery piece for the Esperanza diamond - one of the most valuable ever discovered in the USA.
'MAUI' PAUA AND TOPAZ PENDANT
Winner of 2nd Place Professional Design Excellence in the MJSA 2016 Vision Awards
When we came into possession of a 232 carat, natural blue, triangular cabochon topaz, we knew it was destined for a magnificent piece of jewellery. When one of the team described it as if you’re looking into a swirling ocean filled with all sorts of wonders, the the Maori legend of Maui fishing up the North Island sprang to Ian’s mind.
PATAI DELICATE
The Inspired Delicate Collection Finalist in the 2016 UK Jewellery Awards
The Inspired Jewellery Delicate Collection was named as a finalist for the Bridal Collection of the Year in the 2016 UK Jewellery Awards. The Patai ring was awarded Bronze at the 2016 New Zealand Best Awards.
The Village Goldsmith global design studio highlights our deep respect for artisanal craftsmanship. The connection between vintage soldering equipment, blacksmith iron and fine jewellery might not be immediately clear. However, we've intentionally repurposed these objects to create our display cases in our showroom because we believe each one has meaning and value. These items were chosen because not only do they each have their own unique beauty about them, they were all also created in a time when objects were built to last. Something that's not that common these days. Showcasing these reimagined items reflects our values as designers and craftspeople. We care about creating beautiful and enduring objects that will stand the test of time.
RESPONSIBLY SOURCED
We are constantly working
towards improving all aspects of our business to play our part in bettering the world for people and our planet. We recognise this isn't something that can change overnight, but we are documenting our journey for you to follow.
BUILT TO LAST
We are committed to creating stunning jewellery that will be treasured for generations. You can
trust our meticulous team of expert jewellers to monitor and insist on the highest quality standards for materials, diamonds, gemstones, and craftsmanship at every step of creating a piece to ensure it is not only beautiful but built to stand the test of time.
MADE UNIQUE
Whether you're working with one of our designers to create a custom piece of jewellery to tell your story or have fallen in love with a piece from our collection that speaks to you - our team is all about creating stunning pieces that surprise and delight clients.