Ralph Masri is a Beirut born, but London based jeweller, who specialises in rich and bold statement pieces. Ralph has had one heck of an international upbringing, having lived between Lebanon, Canada, France and Britain. At the age of 18 Ralph moved to London to study a BA in Jewellery design at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design. Ralph tells me, “I had always been drawn to art and design since childhood, and it was actually during my foundation year at college (Central Saint Martins in London) that I discovered my passion for jewellery, so that’s what I specialised in, and it’s what I’ve been doing ever since.”
After graduating from Saint Martins Ralph established his own jewellery line, which has been hugely successful. Ralph’s debut collection, A Trace of Lace, is inspired by beauty, intricacy and the sensuality of lace. Ralph comments, “my first collection was inspired by, as the name suggests, lace and floral patterns. My next collection, launching this summer, is inspired by Arabesque and Islamic architecture. So my inspiration really comes from anything.” Ralph’s collection uses vibrant colours and shapes, and clearly shows Ralph’s love for lace. Ralph’s necklaces and rings really caught my attention, with being bright and eye-catching because of their delicate, handcrafted design. The majority of Ralph’s pieces are centred with a beautiful colourful stone, such as amethyst or garnet, which really makes his jewellery stand out from the crowd.
Ralph clearly knows the intrinsic craftsmanship behind jewellery, creating regal, daring and simply gorgeous pieces. Although Ralph’s jewels are extremely rich and expensive, Ralph’s pieces can be worn both day and night. Ralph’s tip for all budding jewelers is, “you have something to have something that stands out. The competition is insane in this field and you really need to be able to have a unique identity that grabs people’s attention.” This is something that Ralph’s work clearly embodies. Ralph’s bold jewellery collection has not gone unnoticed, and he’s only 24-years-old! Ralph’s jewellery has been exhibited during London Jewellery Week, and whilst Ralph was only 20-years-old (and during his second year at Saint Martins), Ralph’s jewels were nominated for the UK Jewellery Award, making Ralph one of the youngest nominated! Although Ralph is the young new-boy on the jewellery block, he is clearly not one to be messed with. I am excited to see what Ralph’s career has installed for the future. Ralph is one to watch.
Go and check out Ralph’s beautiful jewellery at http://www.ralphmasri.com/ or head to his Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/ralphmasri. And to buy some of Ralph’s beautiful jewellery, head to Wolf & Badger in Notting Hill, and on their website wolfandbadger.com.