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Magnolia Designs: More Than Just Jewellery
A pivotal point. A fork in the road. Magnolia Howard had a decision to make. Would she take the impressive, new job offer? Or turn it down and start her own jewellery business? She took the leap! And so began the journey of Magnolia Designs.
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Where It All Began
Five years down the road, Magnolia Designs is forging ahead, producing classically made pieces with a modern twist. However, the bespoke jewellery company, founded by Magnolia Howard, wouldn’t exist today without the occurrence of just one pivotal moment.
In 2018, Magnolia Howard was faced with a difficult decision. Howard had been offered a promotion at the renowned Australian pearling business she held a position at in Chinatown, Broome. The offer caused Howard to pause.
Howard could easily have accepted the well-paid promotion, sticking with her 9-5 and following the same path. But after much deliberation, Howard turned down the job offer to pursue a more creative direction. “Having been in the industry for over fifteen years, I realised that I should give myself a shot at creating both a business and jewellery I could be truly proud of,” says Howard.
At that point in time, Howard didn’t know exactly what kind of business she wanted to develop, but a few things were clear: the products needed to be Australian made and would need to “showcase the best of what Australia had to offer.”
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“It needed to be more than jewellery; it needed to be emotive - translating a story through metal. More than a piece of jewellery, it needed to be a bookmark in time, capturing the moment in precious metal.” - Magnolia Howard
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Building Legacy
For Magnolia Howard, it was an all-or-nothing move that “has quickly become one of the most rewarding endeavours” she has ever taken on.
Howard’s approach to Magnolia Designs is nothing short of inspiring. Howard is very deliberate in taking the time to make decisions that will suit her and the direction of the business well into the future. And at the centre of it all is Howard’s focus on legacy building.
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“I believe good things do come with time. In terms of legacy building, that is why it’s of deep importance to me that the products I create are Australian materials, Australian owned and Australian made.”- Magnolia Howard
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The Design Process
Every piece at Magnolia Designs is designed and crafted by Howard herself. Made with the world’s most exquisite Australian South Sea Cultured Pearls, Australian Opals, Australian Sapphires and Australian Diamonds, each piece is exclusive to Magnolia Designs.
“I think the easiest way to describe what I do is to ask you to picture a blacksmith, and then once you have that image in mind, imagine it’s on a smaller scale and with gold,” says Magnolia Howard. As a “smith”, Howard explains, jewellery production is a very physical and laborious trade. The process involves a lot of “dirty work”, using acids, polishing compounds, and an array of chemicals and tools.
Although, at the end of the intensive process, the finished product is far from the flux, fire scale or acid pot used to make it - “the shine of freshly polished gold is irresistible”.
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Diaries of a Small Business Owner
For Magnolia Howard, the biggest challenge is one that so many small business owners are familiar with - lack of hours in the day.
“I am guilty as most small business owners are of having nothing but passion for the business I run; I live and breathe it. It occupies the majority of my thoughts and is all consuming, definitely a labour of love.” - Magnolia Howard
Magnolia Designs has continued to expand beyond the borders of Broome, but for Howard, it wouldn’t have been possible without the love and support of the people around her, especially the support from her mother and sister. “I am blessed to have the support of my favourite people, all cheering me on the and getting involved wherever they can to support me,” says Howard.
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What Does the Future Hold for Magnolia Designs?
Maybe one day in the near future we might see Magnolia Designs enter the European market. For Howard, she is inspired by the day that Magnolia Designs becomes synonymous with the big international names in design and high-end luxury goods.
“I have plans to take my brand international. I believe the European market has a refined sense of design and would appreciate my fresh take on pearl jewellery as well as my passion for cocktail and dress rings,” says Howard.
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Magnolia Designs at Perth Upmarket
You can find Magnolia and her pieces at Perth Upmarket on Sunday 18th September at UWA.
“Markets like these provide such a great outlet for small scale creatives like myself, and showcase the incredible variety out there for consumers.” - Magnolia Howard
You can also shop online here: https://www.magnoliahoward.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/magnoliadesigns/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/magnoliadesignsjewellery
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