Proud to Present: An inspiring and creative brand for Jewellers Academy

Jessica Rose is the talented entrepreneur behind Jewellers Academy, and my goodness is she a clever one. As well as being a talented jeweller herself, Jessica has founded two businesses dedicated to teaching aspiring jewellers: The London Jewellery School where students can learn how to make jewellery, and Jewellery School Online which runs online courses to teach students how to turn their jewellery skills into a solid, sustainable and profitable business. In just a couple of short years, Jewellery School Online has really taken off, and Jessica realised the business had outgrown its current look. She decided to rename to Jewellers Academy, and reached out to Ditto for a fresh new brand that'd reflect the strength and vision of the academy.

Jewellers Academy provides specialist and expert training for jewellers who aspire to take their talents to the next level. Having trodden the same path as most of her students, Jessica spotted a gap in the market for regular, accessible business training for jewellers. Through the London Jewellery School, she's trained thousands of jewellers and is bringing this knowledge and expertise online to provide high quality business training for budding jewellery entrepreneurs. 

Having been told that it’s not possible to make a living from a jewellery business, Jessica has proved that the opposite to be true. Jewellers Academy exists to build students’ confidence, supporting and encouraging them as they learn the practical skills they need in order to effect real change in their businesses.

When Jessica approached us, her brand didn't communicate the quality or expertise of what her business does. It felt friendly but lacks credibility, and falls short of the aspirational brand that an industry leader ought to have. She wanted to catapult her business forward, and create a visual identity that inspires her audience and sets the bar for the high standard of tuition that they'll receive.

The season personality

The seasons which best reflect Jewellers Academy are Summer, with a dash of Winter. Summer reflects the brand best: Summer personalities are gentle, supportive and nurturing. They’re elegant, understated and stylish with a keen eye for detail. They’re intelligent, ordered and logical, making them excellent teachers. Often very creative and usually with a softer, feminine feel to them, Summer personalities are observant and thorough. They expect high standards of themselves and never deliver less than the best they can do. 

Winter personalities are more obviously driven than their Summer counterparts. Often at the very top of their game, they’re industry leaders and trendsetters. They’re true experts and deliver their knowledge in a clear and practical way, making even the most complex ideas easy to understand. 

Both Summer and Winter personalities are extremely reliable, possessing a sense of strength that makes them easy to trust. While Summer echoes the gentle, creative and feminine nature of Jewellers Academy, Winter brings the sense of strength and expertise that they need to communicate their credibility.

The brand

I love this brand! It balances the Summer and Winter influences perfectly, with the soft neutrals of Summer toughened up with the bold, confident typography of Winter. There’s a definite feminine feel, yet it doesn’t feel girlish or insincere. We love the elegance of the italic serifs, paired with upper case san serifs for a clean, unfussy feel. 

There’s a sense of minimalism; everything is given space to breathe which means that nothing is left to clamour for attention. It feels ordered, tidy and in control. The gentle colour palette beautifully softens the geometric influences, and lots of white provides a sense of unhurried calm that’s beautifully reassuring. White doesn’t have to be sterile; pale concrete, white washed wood, marble or lightly hammered paper provides the same effect while adding a sense of depth.

On to the colour palette! Black provides strength, elegance and certainty, beefing up an otherwise very gentle colour scheme. A beautiful shade of Truffle is a strong neutral that works as well with black as it does with pinks. It’s an undemanding shade that doesn’t ask too much and doesn’t shout. Dusty Rose provides the feminine, nurturing and intuitive feel that the brand needs. A muted rather than pale shade, it has a depth to it that makes it feel grown up and serious rather than youthful and giddy. Putty provides a subtle background colour; with more guts than stark white, it has a sense of timelessness thanks to its similarity to parchment shades. Finally, gold adds the sense of sparkle you’d associate with a premium brand. More enduring than silvers, rose golds or coppers, gold is an enduring shade that outlasts faddy trends – perfect for a business that’s here to stay.