When Ian Rosenberg left school at the age of 15, he had few qualifications and no idea what he wanted to do with his life. A gifted artist, he had grown disillusioned with life in London but lacked the funds or imagination to broaden his horizons. He began an apprenticeship in his father’s shop against his will and learned the craft of watch-making. Although he was gifted at the profession and enjoyed the regular income, he left to travel Europe soon after.
While in France, Ian became inspired by the jewellery he had seen while working as a waiter for fine dining events. Determined to learn the craft, He persuaded a small jewellery maker in Paris to take him on as an apprentice. The shop’s main trade was in exporting jewellery to Britain and Rosenberg became obsessed with mixing the classic British style with French elegance. The hours in the shop were long but he enjoyed the challenge and finally learned the value of hard work.
After several years saving money working as a clerk in a law firm (where he met his wife), Rosenberg first set up his own jewellers in his father’s old watch shop. The location of the shop meant it received little passing trade and except for a few loyal clients business was slow. After several years of struggle, the shop was finally shut down and sold to make ends meet, much to the family’s sadness.
Unable and unwilling to accept another dead-end position, Rosenberg decided to grow the business from the ground up and started to sell hand crafted jewellery door to door. Again, business was slow and his skills as a salesmen weren’t as polished as the items he was selling. It became obvious that in order to make ends meet he needed to diversify. With that in mind, Rosenberg went about designing silverware for fine dining restaurants, similar to the ones he had seen in Paris years before.
A chance encounter with a restaurant owner, who had bought a pair of earrings from the old shop for his wife several years earlier, gave the business the boost it so badly needed. Soon Rosenberg cutlery had become extremely popular and the revenue allowed Ian to focus more on his passion for jewellery making.
The reputation for quality and excellence has meant that the Rosenberg Jewellery business has grown significantly over the years. Ian’s son, Kevin, decided to follow in his father’s footsteps and is now a successful jeweller in Milan, supplying jewellery and working in collaboration with the fashion industries most talent designers.
Now, Ian is still determined to expand his horizons, he and his wife spend large periods of time abroad, travelling the world and looking for new markets for Ian Rosenberg Jewellery to join. He regularly scouts out local talent and artisan jewellers to join the company and ensures that local workers receive a fair wage.
Ian Rosenberg still maintains his passion for jewellery and brings the techniques he learns back to the UK. He regularly hosts workshops to teach the next generation of jewellers the tricks of the trade. He has created jewellery for every occasion, from A-list celebrities on the red carpet to his grand children’s birthday presents; but Ian still brings the same artistic approach he had when he left school all those years ago.