The Rock Hound heads to The West End

The Rock Hound will showcase its Fairtrade Gold collections in London’s West End as part of a brand new pop-up shopping experience on New Bond Street. 

The East London-based brand is taking part in the inaugural Autelier event at 125 New Bond Street – a temporary luxury shopping destination that gives designer brands the opportunity to present their collections in high-profile locations.

“This is a great opportunity to introduce New Bond Street’s illustrious and discerning clientele to Fairtrade Gold and our responsibly sourced collections that support miners, lapidarists and charitable initiatives across the world. I am proud to be participating in this ambitious Christmas shopping pop-up, especially now at a time when people are ready to rediscover in-person experiences. I look forward to meeting clients personally and sharing the space with my fellow independent designers and brands.”

— Susi Smither, Founder of The Rock Hound

The Rock Hound will utilise its space at Autelier to showcase its core collections, including GoldRush, which features pieces decorated with hand-formed ‘nuggets’ of solid Fairtrade Gold to “form a deeper understanding and connection between mine and market”. The brand will also highlight its unisex RockStars offering, similarly formed in Fairtrade Gold, and designed to mimic the form of natural crystals and Smither’s own favourite gemstone, Tourmaline.

“We’re excited that in the run up to the festive season shoppers visiting the London’s West End will have more opportunities to choose Fairtrade Gold at new pop up Autelier. When you purchase one of the incredible aesthetic designs from The Rock Hound, you are choosing gold with heart, fully traceable and responsibly mined ethical gold that means miners receive a fair deal for their hard work.”

— Mahsa Yeganeh, Gold Supply Chain and Programme Manager at the Fairtrade Foundation

As a trained gemmologist, Susi is highly regarded for her gemstone-led collections and collaborations with traceable mining locations. The Rock Hound’s Molten Muzo collection, for example, combines 18k Fairtrade Gold with tumbled emeralds from Muzo Emerald Colombia. She is one of only 40 global designers to be invited to work with this prestigious emerald supplier. The Autelier pop-up will also set the stage for new pieces featuring Bahia Golden Rutilated Quartz that’s responsibly sourced from Brazil. 

The Rock Hound is also a supporter of community projects that seek to recognise and support the work of traditional lapidarists and artisans across the world. The Turquoise Mountain collection uses native gold and spinel crystals from Mogok Valley, Myanmar, and combines the skilled craftsmanship of the Turquoise Mountain team in Yangon with The Rock Hound’s signature design aesthetic. 

Further ranges on display include the colourful Chromanteq collection with coated precious metals in an array of vibrant hues and set with peridot, spessartite and helidor.

The Rock Hound will be available at Autelier until the end of January 2022. A percentage of the proceeds from every sale will be donated to Crystal Clear Collective (CIC) that supports artisanal small-scale miners as part of The Rock Hound’s Fair Luxury Pledge.