Newcastle jewellery designer and manufacturer, Zakhona Ngcobo, believes every piece of jewellery tells its own story; a reflection of the maker’s creativity and the wearer’s individuality.

A passion discovered by chance

Armed with a B.Tech in Fine Art and a Diploma in Design and Studio Art from the Central University of Technology (CUT) in Bloemfontein, Zakhona has turned her artistic vision into finely crafted, distinctive pieces that capture emotion and identity.

Her journey began in her first year at CUT, when she was tasked with polishing a piece of jewellery; a moment that changed everything.

“It almost came to life,” she recalled, describing how the process sparked a lifelong fascination with the craft. What started as curiosity soon evolved into passion.

Zakhona admits her path into jewellery design wasn’t planned, it found her.

“It can be very frustrating, but I love it,” she said with a smile, reflecting on the early days that shaped her artistic journey.

Explaining the process of starting a design project, Zakhona said it all begins with a ‘mood board’ – the sketching of different design ideas. From there she will decide what at type of metal will work and the colour of the stone.

“Manufacturing the design involves melting the metal, manipulating it into the desired form, trying to put all the different pieces together, cleaning, buffing, and finally, polishing. When I restore a piece of jewellery, I need to know what type of metal it is and if it is stamped on the inside,” said Zakhona.

The stamp indicates the purity of the metal, as cheap metal would contaminate the equipment. After determining what the problem with the piece is, the restoration can start.

Impressively, Zakhona was still a student when she created one of her most memorable pieces. In 2017, she brought a client’s design to life — crafting a stunning wedding ring featuring blue Tanzanite stones set in yellow and rose gold.

“Rings are my favourite to make,” she said with pride.

Deciding how much to restore a piece versus keeping its original character all depends on the client. The client would ask for advice, but generally, restorations are all about simple repairs.

“People don’t ask for professional advice; they ask YouTube,” Zakhona said.

This is among the common mistakes people make when trying to clean or restore old jewellery. She explains that people use materials that can actually damage jewellery, for instance, putting dirty jewellery in tin foil.

Platinum is her favourite material to work with. It is a hard metal, and she says it feels like ‘you are cruising when you are working with it’.

Growing up in a rural area, the landscape influenced her design techniques in a significant way. Inspired by her childhoold surroundings, she designed a ring called ‘Nontaba‘, with texture in the form of mountains.

Newcastle has played a key role in supporting Zakhona’s craft.

Grateful for the many local markets she’s been invited to, she said Newcastillians have truly embraced her work.

“People recognise me as ‘the girl from the market’,” she laughed.

Women remain her strongest supporters

In an industry largely dominated by men, Zakhona remains humbled by the strong support she receives from women.

“They are my biggest clients and allies,” she said.

When asked what advice she would give to someone interested in jewellery design and manufacturing, her simple answer is to have a lot of patience.

As jewellery manufacturing is not a widely known industry, Zakhona believes it is vital to research it thoroughly to understand the opportunities it offers, and to realise that it can be pursued as a formal tertiary qualification.

Looking ahead, her plans include launching a dedicated website for her business and creating exclusive pieces aimed at the international market.

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