Loquet Founder Sheherazade Goldsmith On Designing Jewelry With Meaning

Loquet was born out of the desire to create something that founder, Sheherazade Goldsmith, felt wasn’t available on the market. She longed to wear jewelry that was not only stylish but also had meaning attached. Loquet’s signature keepsake lockets give everyone the chance to customize a piece of jewelry as a memento and are a thoroughly modern interpretation of a classic design. Goldsmith tells us how she transitioned into the jewelry business, the inspiration behind Loquet, and about her most recent collections. 

Prior to starting your own jewelry line, you were an environmental journalist. What made you pivot into jewelry?

I had been writing for quite some time and decided to take a sabbatical and go back to college. When I finished my master’s degree in investigative journalism I took a break and came up with the idea for Loquet. It was something I wanted for myself but couldn’t find. I have never really worn jewelry as an ornament, most of what I wear is sentimental and I wanted to find something that encompassed both design and meaning, something I could wear all day every day, whatever the occasion. The idea was for it to be a small creative venture that would run alongside my journalism, but it very quickly became my main focus and has been ever since. 

How did you come up with the idea of a keepsake locket as your signature design?

My then 10-year-old son gave me a pendant that had some dried flowers inside. It wasn’t something you could open and close, but it made me think that I would love to have the ability to personalize it and turn it into something I could wear, whatever the occasion, night and day. I started to do a little research and discovered that the Victorians often carried a crystal pendant with them but would traditionally fill with perfume or a photograph. My love of travel and charm bracelets inspired a charm collection, one that was full of meanings derived from symbols I’d encountered in my travels. 

What is your personal everyday jewelry?

Sentimental. I love catching a glimpse of something, and it making me smile. Jewelry is usually a memory of a moment or a person. A beautiful thing that reminds you of a beautiful thing. 

What is your favorite piece of jewelry you’ve ever designed?

It would have to be my Loquet. I wear our Saffron loquet, a beautiful pear shape with faceted crystals. Inside are my children’s birthstones, a rainbow because they make me smile, and a bespoke charm of my puppy Shady. 

Tell us about your bespoke room.

The foundation of Loquet was built on making a sentimental and personalized piece of jewelry, and what better way to do than creating a bespoke charm of your own. Our website allows you to do this fairly easily. Simply send us a sketch, drawing, or photo, and we will interpret for you in about 24 hours and send along a design for final approval. It takes about four weeks to make your bespoke creation come to life.

Being environmentally responsible is important to your brand. Tell us a bit about your production processes.

We responsibly source all of our stones from suppliers that adhere to the Kimberly Process, and our packaging is made entirely from recycled materials. Loquet is not only ethical by nature. We handcraft each piece using the finest materials, designed to cut down on waste and last a lifetime, for generations to come.

Where do you find inspiration for your designs?

Everywhere — the people I love, the everyday, travel, books, and art. Covid taught me that books and art are a form of travel in themselves. 

Your line Chromatopia is a celebration of color and has many unique pieces. Do you have a favorite?

That’s tricky as I adore emeralds and the blue diamonds remind me of a night sky and shooting stars, but I love the shape of the heart, neither round nor heart but in rubies, a stone of passion. 

Tell us about your Something Blue bridal line and what inspired it?

The Something Blue collection features three heirloom designs with the inspiration of tradition in mind and wearing something blue on your wedding day. Playing off the ethos of the brand and what Loquet was conceptualized on, you can take the meaning of your “Something Blue” locket a step further, personalizing with your partner’s initials, birthstone, or even designing a custom charm of your own. 

What has been your pinch-me moment since launching your line?

We’ve had quite a few. Milestones have been ever-present as the business has evolved so quickly. The personal bespoke nature of each Loquet has created a devoted community. Our customers are part of our story as it’s their lives that breathe life into each Loquet. Seeing Julia Roberts on a talk show wearing her Loquet, launching in Saks Fifth Avenue, opening our first store in London, but I think creating a new interactive jewelry shopping experience for our customers was really exciting. The concept behind our website was that our customers should be the designers, and the space that they create their piece would feel intimate and playful, something I believe we achieved with our Loquet builder. Dreaming up a concept and seeing it come to life exactly as you had imagined is a wonderful feeling.