How it all started

Jewellery brand Zoe & Morgan is a family affair. Jewellery runs through the history of the siblings who started their brand while living on three different continents.

Meeting with Ruth at Zoe & Morgan’s shop in West London, we chatted about engagement rings, sustainability and of course, how it all started.

Officially launched in 2005, Zoe & Morgan was a natural evolution for the three siblings who were making jewellery in their spare time.

Ruth explains: “When we were in our mid to late 20s, Zoe was already living in London, working in millinery, and she was making jewellery at home. Morgan was living in Bali, and he started making a bit of jewellery. I was in New Zealand, working, but I was also doing a bit of jewellery on the side.

“We were all doing a bit of jewellery on the side because it was always an easy way to make a bit of extra cash.”

Having grown up with a jeweller dad, Ruth, Zoe and Morgan were introduced to jewellery making early on.

“Our dad was a jeweller. He had a workshop that we all kind of grew up in, in New Zealand. He passed away when we were in our very early 20s.”

Continuing the jewellery legacy of their dad, the siblings decided to launch their brand.

“I mean, we started with very little. Zoe and Morgan were sort of heading towards creating a brand. Zoe had already been picked up by Harvey Nichols.

“She delivered everything in pink envelopes because that's all she had. You know, she couldn't believe it. She was sitting next to Chloe jewellery and all these big brands…” 

Deciding to launch a jewellery brand with “the money that they had”, Zoe & Morgan evolved organically.

“Morgan was like, look, I'm in Bali, we could be making the jewellery over here because we can use artisans and it's easier. And so that's when they just launched.”

While the brand is known for its fine jewellery line, bespoke designs and beautiful engagement rings, it started with humbler pieces.

“It certainly launched with the silver, which was easy to be ethical because Ben, the guy who runs the workshop over there, is passionate about using recycled materials and ethics. So working with him was just an easy alignment.

“And then the fine, it really started to develop as we had enough money to make it.”

Ruth explains the brand grew “very organically”.

“It costs a lot to make fine. We started with a couple of little things, couple more little things and it grew. There wasn't a moment where we thought, we've got all this money, we're going to go and look at some gemstones.

“It started with, oh look, we could afford this tiny little stone. Shall we buy it? OK, buy it.”

While sustainability has always been part of Zoe & Morgan’s brand DNA, it was hard to be picky about where the “tiny little stones” came from. “With tiny little stones, you can’t necessarily go, oh no, these come from here or there.”

With Morgan in Asia, the siblings made connections with gemstone dealers early on. “There’s a big building in Bangkok, which is the Gems Tower, so you go in there and there's all these people and they've got their little desks and you can chat to them.

“My brother Morgan is just curious by nature. He always has been and loves talking to people. And people love him.

“He was the one that made all the connections. He gets to know people and he chats to them, and before you know it, they’re inviting him for tea at their house…

“He's the one that carved that path as we've grown up as a brand.”

Nowadays, Zoe & Morgan have an engagement and wedding line, as well as fine and demi fine lines. They also offer one of a kind designs and a bespoke service.