Herefordshire jewellery brand Nudie wins Emerging Jewellery Brand of the Year
A Herefordshire jewellery brand that launched to customers just 15 months ago has been named Emerging Jewellery Brand of the Year at one of the UK jewellery industry’s national awards.
Nudie Jewellery was announced as the winner at the Professional Jeweller Awards 2026 on Wednesday 2 September at Pillar Hall’s Idalia, Olympia London.
Founder Sophie Eckley collected the award from Professional Jeweller editor Harriet Whitaker in front of 200 jewellery industry professionals.
Nudie was selected from six finalists in the Emerging Jewellery Brand of the Year category, alongside ANJNA London, Caroline Creba Fine Jewellery, fejn, Growe (Mireya UK) and Vanchi Jewellery.
For Sophie, who officially launched Nudie to customers in June 2025, the win comes little more than a year into building the brand.
“I genuinely didn’t expect to hear Nudie called out,” said Sophie.
“We were sitting in a room full of people from across the jewellery industry and I was already incredibly proud that this little brand I’ve been building from Herefordshire had made the shortlist.
“Then we won.
“Nudie only launched to customers 15 months ago, so standing at Olympia collecting Emerging Jewellery Brand of the Year feels completely surreal. I’m not sure it’s quite sunk in yet.”
From sensitive skin to a national jewellery award
Nudie grew from Sophie’s own experience of severe sensitive skin.
Having struggled with dermatitis since childhood, jewellery became an important way for Sophie to express herself and feel put together at times when products such as make-up weren’t an option.
But jewellery presented frustrations of its own, from skin irritation and tarnishing to necklaces that constantly spun around and clasps that were difficult to fasten.
Those experiences became the starting point for Nudie.
The Herefordshire-based brand creates hypoallergenic, waterproof gold vermeil and recycled sterling silver jewellery designed with sensitive skin and everyday wear in mind.
Its designs also tackle some of the small frustrations people have come to accept from jewelery, including counterbalanced necklaces designed to prevent spinning and clasps that are easier to fasten independently.
Nudie takes the same skin-first approach to the way the brand is presented. The skin of women appearing in its photography is never retouched and the business does not use AI-generated women as models.
For every piece sold, £1 is also donated to the British Skin Foundation to support its work funding research into skin disease.
Built in Herefordshire
Nudie was incorporated in July 2024 before officially launching to customers in June 2025.
The business remains founder-led, with Sophie building Nudie alongside her full-time role within her family’s Herefordshire farming business.
In its first 15 months, the brand has grown through its online store, independent stockists and events across the UK.
Nudie was named a Theo Paphitis Small Business Sunday winner before it had officially launched and went on to win the Fashion category of Pitch Live at Autumn Fair 2025, followed by Hypoallergenic Jeweller of the year from Corporate LiveWire 2025/26. Its jewellery has since appeared on the BAFTAs red carpet and the brand has begun building a growing network of independent stockists.
But Sophie says recognition from within the jewellery industry itself makes the Professional Jeweller award particularly special.
“When you’re building a business yourself, a lot of it isn’t particularly glamorous. It’s evenings behind a laptop, weekends at events, packing orders and trying things to see what works.
“So to go from launching Nudie last summer to standing at Olympia accepting an award from the jewellery industry is a pretty extraordinary feeling.
The Professional Jeweller Awards 2026 brought together 200 industry professionals at Olympia London, with winners announced across 21 categories during the evening.
