Employee-owned model starts at Harriet Kelsall Bespoke Jewellery with new MD at helm
Harriet Kelsall Bespoke Jewellery has taken two huge steps forward, firstly with a transition to employee ownership and then with the appointment of Rebecca Howarth as managing director.
Soon to mark 20 years on Green Street, the business transitioned to an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT) on 25 June after Harriet’s 26 years of leadership.
With a dream starting at Harriet’s kitchen table, the company brought bespoke to the high street, led the way in ethical and sustainable practices and earned many accolades along the way. With employee ownership, the talented team that has helped shape each success are now key stakeholders in its future too.
With a mix of jewellery designers, CAD specialists, gemmologists, experienced goldsmiths and beyond, all based in the UK, the jewellery retailer has been delivering award-winning creative design, master craftsmanship and customer service since 1998.
“I’m extremely happy for this transition,” said Harriet. “It’s something I’ve been working towards for a long time. In many ways, our company has long run with the spirit of an EOT, with a leadership structure and collaborative management style. This move formalises our already embedded ethos.”
Harriet, who lives in Cambridge with her two teenagers, cats and chickens, will remain an integral part of the business for many years to come as founder-director and executive chair, with no plans to step back or slow down. Alongside this, she continues to serve in non-executive positions, including on the boards of the Intellectual Property Office and the British Allied Trades Federation.
Meanwhile Rebecca Howarth, pictured, who has been an integral part of the team for 20 years, takes over as the company’s new managing director.
Rebecca started as a design assistant in 2004 and has since flourished, becoming an instrumental factor in the company’s design expertise and innovation culture.
She describes her style as “a collaborative approach, continuing to champion the company’s goals, employee-owned values, and commitment to creativity, ethics, and innovation”.
She added: “Harriet Kelsall Bespoke Jewellery has been my professional home for many years; I’m thrilled to help shape its future alongside our incredibly talented team.”
The well-known jewellery retailer has long been a passionate part of the Cambridge community, actively hosting events, collaborating with local creatives, and championing sustainable retail on one of the city’s most characterful streets.
As a long-standing member of the Green Street collective, the company has also been recognised with awards such as Cambridge BID’s Customer Service Award and People’s Choice Wedding Supplier of the Year.
In 2024 Harriet Kelsall Bespoke Jewellery won the ‘UK Bespoke Jeweller of the Year’ and ‘Ethical Jeweller of the Year’ titles.
The retailer was the first jeweller in the world to be both licensed to sell Fairtrade gold and to be audited by the Responsible Jewellery Council.
