About Pippa Small
As a small child, Pippa Small was attracted to gems, shells and minerals. Growing up, she began to collect anything she found: beads, seeds, sea-washed glass, a button from a loved ones shirt, a shell from a beautiful beach. These personal tokens told stories, held secrets, recalled memories. They were strung together to form tangles of amulets and bracelets that festooned her arms. Her jewelry began as a way of holding her discoveries and treasures close to her. It characterizes the way she approaches her jewelry design today.
Born in French-speaking Canada, raised in England and traveling widely, she has become a voyager seeking not just objects but cultures and peoples. It led her to studying anthropology and later a MA in medical anthropology. Her eclectic style soon led to her designs attracting the attention of some of fashion's best-known names and her collaboration with Gucci, Nicole Farhi and Chloe and her superb rough diamond collections with Christina Kim of Dosa.
Drawing on her two interests, Pippa has initiated crafts projects with indigenous communities such as the San Bushmen of the Kalahari, the Batwa Pygmies of Rwanda, the Kuna in Panama and in Afghanistan helping them to research their traditional designs and generate much-needed income.
Her commitment to the environment has led to her involvement with the first Fair Trade gold mine in Bolivia, a mine that works to ensure that the health and safety of miners are a priority and the protection of the environment.