Jewellery designer Charlotte Penman started collecting gemstones while travelling through Northern India in the late 1990’s, and made her first jewellery pieces from emerald and 22ct gold beads, pearls and silk cord whilst living in Japan. 

After spending time in Europe and working for a glass artist in London, she returned to New Zealand in 2001 to study Fine Arts at Elam, where her interest in traditional Maori Art and Art History intensified and she majored in sculpture and installation.

Not wanting to give up a good thing, the self-confessed gemstone addict attended a part time silversmith’s course at Workshop 6. With jewellery in the blood, it was a natural progression. Her father, stepmother and uncle ran a successful jewellery company in the 1980’s, selling throughout New Zealand, Australia and Europe. They gifted her with many of the tools and materials from their company, providing further inspiration for Charlotte to continue developing her own unique style.

 n 2002, iconic home-ware store Tessuti picked up her line and have continued to provide a platform for not only seasonal collections, but also one off pieces and small exclusive ranges. Charlotte now sells through high-end boutiques around New Zealand, such as Workshop and more recently, Antipodes Design, and produces commissioned pieces for special occasions such as weddings.

Focusing on quality materials and handmade finishes, rather than mass produced items, gives her range a bespoke feel. All gemstones are personally chosen from around the world and designed and finished in Penman’s Auckland studio. 

Charlotte’s work has been profiled in local shows and exhibitions and has been seen in Black Magazine, Remix, Fashion Quarterly and a MOMA art video (Museum of Modern Art, NY), as well as popular New Zealand shows such as One News, Outrageous Fortune, Go Girls and Nothing Trivial. 

The balance between feminine and masculine and how pieces move with the body is always important, Charlotte loves the juxtaposition between organic soft shapes and harder architectural forms, and is always striving to make this contrast work in her jewellery.