Loquet London Founder Sheherazade Goldsmith Shares a Glimpse Into Her 9-5
From morning rituals to her creative process, this is everything she gets up to in her 9-5
Think of a locket, and it's likely that an old, vintage gold heart with long-faded photos inside is the first thing that springs to mind. A piece of jewellery that's undoubtedly nostalgic, sentimental, emotionally charged and treasured—but not exactly the height of luxury or cool. That's where Loquet London comes in.
Founded in 2013 by Sheherazade Goldsmith, Loquet reimagines the traditional locket as a modern fine jewellery heirloom—an "expression of self" crafted from sapphire crystal and solid gold, and filled with precious charms and symbols of personal significance. Collected and added-to over time, it becomes a beautiful tapestry of the wearer's life story—and as such, no two pieces are the same.
Here, Sheherazade Goldsmith shares a glimpse into the wonderful world of Loquet London and what she gets up to in her nine-to-five—from daily rituals and office essentials to sources of inspiration...
I can't start my morning without... A cup of tea. Always. It's the ritual of it, the quiet before everything begins. I've tried to be a coffee person, but tea feels like coming home.
My approach to everyday dressing is... Comfort first. But comfort that still feels like me. I lean toward the playful and feminine, good fabrics, interesting textures, pieces that move well. Prada trousers, a Phoebe Philo jumper, trainers. I don't overthink it. Jewellery is where I express myself, that's the one thing I never rush.
My office essentials are... Natural light. I can't function without it. We're lucky with our space; it's in an old industrial building with huge windows and white brick. Very New York loft. My Smythson notebook never leaves my side, and I'm particular about pens. And the pinboards. The studio is covered in them. Ideas, images, sketches. Everything I'm thinking about needs to be visible. It's how I make connections I wouldn't otherwise see.
My favourite post-work ritual is... A bath and a book. Simple things. The day fills up with so many details, so many decisions. By evening I want quiet and warmth and someone’s else’s story. That's enough.
I find design inspiration from... Everywhere, truthfully. Art, nature, travel, conversations, symbols that have meant something across cultures and generations. A lot of our charms begin with emotion. What do women want to carry close to them? What stories do they need to hold? The process takes time. There's a lot of sketching, trial and error, getting the scale and weight exactly right. Each charm is tiny but it has to feel significant. That tension between small and meaningful, that's where I spend most of my creative energy.
I grew up around antique jewellery... My uncle was a jeweller at Grays Antiques in Mayfair, still the best place in the world to find antique pieces. I'd pull up a stool at his counter and marvel at Victorian treasures with hidden compartments and secret messages. Jewellery that did something, that held something. That idea never left me.
What makes Loquet special is that it's yours before it's mine. You choose the charms. You decide what story your locket tells. No one else can make your choices or tell your story. We're creating modern heirlooms, jewellery that celebrates your memories, your milestones, your people. An intimate celebration of self.
The favourite thing about my job is... Unexpectedly meeting someone I don't know wearing our jewellery. It's pure joy hearing what their piece means to them, how it holds their memories, their milestones, their people. Someone will talk me through each of their chosen charms. That's when I remember we're not just making jewellery—we're making containers for what matters most.
One of the biggest highlights so far was... Collaborating with [British artist and illustrator] Charlie Mackesy. It was extraordinary. His work is so tender and true, and translating that into charms felt like a real honour. And more recently, working with [ballerina] Maria Nunez. The honesty that went into her charm design was something very special. There's a natural connection between what she does and what we do. Pure craftsmanship. Elegance. Discipline. Her strength and integrity pushed us to a new level of detail in her ballet shoe charm.
Joining Dover Street Market was a real pinch-me moment. It has been a fashion crush of mine since its inception. To be welcomed into that world, as a fellow London house, felt very accomplished.
My biggest achievement to date? Building something that genuinely means something to the women who wear it. That sounds simple, but it's not. There's so much jewellery in the world. To create pieces that people feel connected to, that they pass down, that become part of their family story, that feels like the achievement. Over a decade in, and women are still telling me what their lockets hold. That connection is everything.
The most important lesson I've learned is... That craftsmanship and integrity are everything. You cannot build something you don't believe in. And the advice I return to constantly: do one thing and be the best at what you do. The temptation to expand, diversify, chase trends, it's constant. But depth matters more than breadth. Know who you are. Stay there.
Over the years, we've refined rather than reinvented. The core idea, jewellery that tells your story, hasn't changed. But the craftsmanship has evolved, the designs have grown more sophisticated. We've recently redesigned our charms to be larger with more detail, so they stack beautifully and every charm is visible within the locket. We've moved into making the whole collection using solid 18k gold and F-coloured diamonds. Materials and details have become our central focus, so that each and every piece feels like a jewel in itself. It's been the most significant evolution yet.
We've just completed a major redesign of the entire collection. New charm sizes, new locket details, a completely refreshed website and store. There isn't an area of the business that hasn't been reconsidered. It's been an incredibly exciting couple of years. The result is a deliberately simple experience that lets the craftsmanship of the jewellery take centre stage.
We're always developing new charms, new ways to tell your story... We're currently continuing to expand our charm collaborations with people who align with our values. The woman who wears Loquet is collecting her life. My job is to make sure she has the vocabulary she needs.
Our next project is to grow our bespoke service. The idea that someone can create their own charm, something that exists nowhere else in the world, feels like the purest expression of what we do. That's the work that excites me most.
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