Sonia Cheadle has established a reputation for innovative and understated contemporary diamond jewellery of the highest quality.

The packaging was designed as a gift-box for Cheadle’s discerning clients, and to help display the work at shows such as London's prestigious Goldsmiths Fair.

A pattern displays each of several different diamond ‘cuts’. The varnished grid gives the box movement as light passes over the box. Seductive despite its comparatively modest materials, the box also hints at its valuable contents.

The brand name is only on the inside of the sleeve – visible to anyone opening the box, but otherwise hidden, allowing the box to retain its enigmatic qualities.

During briefing for the website, much was made of the alchemical nature of jewellery and the mystery location of Sonia’s discreet atelier. We conceived of a torch seeking diamonds in a dark environment. A heist perhaps, or a mine. A spotlight follows the cursor around the page, creating a dynamic and playful aspect to navigating the site.

The organic nature of precious stones, especially the rare examples Sonia often uses, means that each one of her handmade pieces – even those ostensibly in ‘collections’ – are unique. Therefore it seemed entirely appropriate that rather than showing multiple items on a page like an online shop, we instead display only one piece of work at a time – elevating the work in the manner of an artwork in a gallery.

The most fundamental and unusual aspect of the site is also the one that goes most unnoticed: There is no conventional navigation on the site at all. No menus, no buttons, no underlining, no colour to guide you. Instead, all navigation is incorporated into the text, and these elements are highlighted when you need them – when you move a cursor they glow, and when you rollover the text they stay highlighted.

The reasons for doing this are twofold. Firstly they make it easy to navigate the site with simple, intuitive signposting, and secondly they contribute to a feeling of calm and dependable luxury, entirely appropriate for Sonia’s work and clientele.

soniacheadle.com