Orkney jewellery designer, Alison Moore, is celebrating ten years in business with a move into new, larger premises in Dounby.
A stylish street-front shop and expanded workshop area have all been created through the redevelopment of a local building firm’s former property in the village, adjacent to Alison’s previous building.
The expansion has created two additional jobs at Alison Moore Designs, bringing the staff complement to eight.
Showcasing the designer’s full range of jewellery, and gifts inspired by her award-winning underwater photography, the spacious new shop has a dedicated customer seating area. Visitors can also watch the jewellery making process in Alison’s workshop, through a special viewing window next to the bright, bespoke display cabinets.
The new shop officially opens this weekend, with Alison and her team looking forward to welcoming local folk and visitors through the doors.
“We’re really thrilled with the new shop and workshop and can’t wait to share it with everyone,” said Alison. “Our previous premises, which are at the back of our new place, were fairly low-key and occasionally difficult for people to find, so we’re delighted to now have a very visible street-front presence in Dounby.
“We’ve long been a stop on the hugely popular Creative Orkney Trail and, with travel restrictions now easing, we’re hoping to see many more visitors through our doors, which is great for us, the village of Dounby and the wider Orkney community.”
Alison said it was too good an opportunity to pass up when the former A. Tait & Sons building in Dounby became available.
“They’ve been our close neighbours for years, so redeveloping their empty building offered us the perfect solution,” she explained. “Demand for our jewellery has continued to increase, even through lockdown and, whilst that is very welcome, we were beginning to run out of the space needed to meet all those lovely orders.
“It’s been hard work progressing the project through lockdown, but I’d like to say thanks to everyone involved for bringing it to fruition. In addition to us now having a beautiful new shop, we have room to breathe as a business and can look at introducing new collections and ranges.”
Alison, who has a background in geology, launched her jewellery making business from her kitchen table, back in 2011.
Largely self-taught, she’s drawn inspiration for her collections from a wide range of sources, with her passion for the natural world and Orkney’s environment frequently driving her creative process. Many of her most popular pieces – most notably, her stacking ring collections - incorporate gemstones, reflecting her knowledge in the field of mineralogy.
“I can hardly believe it’s been ten years,” reflected Alison. “In that time, the business has grown from a one-woman operation to where we’re at now, with eight staff, and customers all around the world.”
She added: “I’ve simply designed collections that reflect all the things I love, with the aim always to create jewellery that’s wearable and affordable It’s an approach that seems to have struck a chord with our lovely customers over the years and we’re most grateful for their support and friendship. I also work with a great team and would like to take this opportunity to thank them for everything they do.”
Alison said special anniversary events/offers were being planned for later in the year, with details revealed on her official website and her Facebook page.