Welcome to Lumina Jewellery! We are Sara and Picky Saund and here's a little story about who we are and what we do...

We began our company in March 2008 - it was a very deliberate lifestyle choice for us. What we wanted was a way to work together which would allow us to use our brains and our creativity - and also allow us to spend time together as a family. Neither of us have any formal training in jewellery design, but we were both drawn to working with stones. My husband had known our chief silversmith for a number of years and we decided to meet with him and his team on one of our trips to India. We had an immediate creative affinity and I knew that we could all work well together.

This business was never about negotiating the cheapest rates on great sackfulls of ready made jewellery with no thought for the process or the people who made it. It was about working together with the amazing people who give so much of themselves to make our dreams a reality. That's why it was clear from the beginning that there would be no haggling - we let them set the price for their work and each piece is valued individually depending on how long it took to make and how much silver they used. That way they can put all the time and energy necessary into every piece to make it perfect. These guys never cease to amaze me with their skill and patience!

When we're in India we first go to Jaipur where much of the world's semi-precious stones go to get cut. There we spend time choosing stones which we then take to our team along with our ideas for designs. We spend as much time as we can with them, working on new designs, watching them work - and Picky learns a little more of the process himself each year. We take one or two of the guys with us when we go to buy stones so that they can broaden their connections and participate in the whole process.

The other side of working in this way is to offer our support when it's needed. Last year we contributed to a new motorbike as until then our chief silversmith had had to manage with a push bike, but it was taking too much time for him to get around. This year we supported one of the team members when his father passed away so that he could return home and help his family during a difficult time. This is a very personal relationship for us that goes beyond simple jewellery making, and for me that's an integral part of ethical living and trading.

We hope that you enjoy exploring our site, and if you have any questions about anything you find here, then please write to us or give us a call - our contact details can be found at the bottom of each and every page. Although this site acts mainly as a portfolio of our work, we are more than happy to do mail order and can process payments over the phone. So please do not hesitate to get in touch if you're looking for something in particular as we're always happy to help.