James Franses Designer Biography

James Franses is making his mark in the world of jewellery design. With style, passion and dedication to his craft, James’s reputation as a jewellery designer has grown to such heights that he now creates pieces commissioned by football stars and 'A List' celebrities.

James Franses is a fourth generation jeweller who is upholding his family’s tradition of skilled design workmanship. Working above the family business, Franses Jewellers in Bournemouth’s Westover Road, James handcrafts jewellery pieces from an original sketch and works with an absolute passion.

His career began at a London firm of jewellers that supplied many of the household names in Bond Street, as well as making bespoke pieces for royalty and unique items for celebrities.

James has been living in Bournemouth for the last six years and now designs exclusively for the family firm.

Much high street jewellery is computer designed and turned out on production lines, however, everything James creates is by hand, from the initial freehand drawing to sculpting the design. As a result, James’s unique and innovative designs are striking, fluid and breathtaking. They have a unique sense of movement and many are understated, with the emphasis on carefully selected fine diamonds. He and his sister Jemma work with a large selection of diamonds from the certificated Gemmological Institute of America.

James gains inspiration from anything and everything around him. His butterfly rings are formed from the clearest diamonds and sapphires; they are set in platinum, smoothly curved to fit the recesses of your finger and perfectly placed to let in as much light as possible. James believes that every part of the ring should be given as much attention to detail as the next, the more you study his pieces, the more you recognise his thought process. His broaches reflect the delicacy and striking scenes of nature.