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You’ve probably heard Kiki McDonough’s name mentioned alongside words like “gems” and “jewelry,” or seen her sparkling creations circling the necks, fingers and wrists of royalty. As a third-generation jeweler whose parents owned the esteemed 1723 Harvey & Gore — one of London’s oldest privately owned antique jewelers and diamond dealers — McDonough’s talent runs deep in her genes.

“I grew up unafraid of the hush, bell and burgundy velvet of the jewelry shop,” says the designer from her own London-based premises, where she creates pieces that have attracted affluent eyes from around the world — most notably Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, and the late Diana, Princess of Wales.

But McDonough’s taste for bright colours in small, poignant pops against fine metallics is a combination that works for women of all walks of life — not only those who walk the red carpet on a regular basis. And when asked what things she couldn’t live without (the ballet, her iPod, coffee cake and the Liverpool Football Club), it becomes clear where the universality of her collections comes from Next on McDonough’s agenda is to open more wholesale accounts in England and internationally, as well as a second shop in the UK. But for those who won’t be jet-setting to Britain anytime soon, her adored designs are available in select Holt Renfrew stores across Canada, including Vancouver, Calgary and Montreal.

“The jewelry is smart — it’s not bling,” says McDonough. “Never underestimate what a pretty pair of earrings can do. If they are the right colours, they light up your face.”
www.kiki.co.uk