Founded in 2003 by Jewellery Designer Wendy Pickard, The Branch’s reputation for timeless style, bold designs and originality has progressively been growing. The business started fairly small with basic but beautiful designs for wooden bangles, cuffs, rings, earrings, pendants and necklaces. It wasn’t long before the use of high quality silver found a way in to the designs which were becoming steadily more individual and sought-after. With the introduction of gold, diamonds and semi-precious stones, Wendy Pickard’s designs have evolved into the range of unique hand-crafted jewellery our customers have loved and keep coming back for. We are happy to say that we currently have stock in over 100 high-end Boutiques across the UK as well as in 15 countries Worldwide.
All of our jewellery here at The Branch is produced in Indonesia using traditional methods and by local craftsmen. Each piece has been predominantly hand-crafted using materials such as Rosewood, Gold, Silver, semi-precious stones and diamonds, carefully selected not only for quality but also with an eye to sustainability and the welfare of the environment it has come from. We are careful not to use any form of chemicals on the wood we choose - no varnish, polish or colour stain – we like our wood completely natural – with nothing but beeswax to condition it. Due to the very unique nature of the grain in the wood, each individual piece has the feel of a one-of-a-kind piece of jewellery – no two pieces are ever the same!
Our pieces can often be found in the fashion pages of some of the most prominent fashion publications in the UK and global markets, including Vogue and Elle as well as Harpers Bazaar, Marie Claire, Sunday Times Magazine, Red Magazine, In Style, Grazia and You Magazine. We are also happy to have a small celebrity following with women such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Beyonce, Anna Matronic (Scissor Sisters), Mary-Kate Olsen, Kelly Roland and Claudia Schiffer all owning jewellery from The Branch.
We hope you enjoy looking through our ever-evolving and lovingly produced range.
Wendy's passion for jewellery started early. Using nature and her local woods as inspiration, her first ever necklaces were imaginatively fashioned using acorns, string and whatever else caught her young discerning eye. From there Wendy found an endless fascination with buttons and beads which lead to ingenious and colourful creations proudly worn by friends and family alike. As she got older, and whilst on the first of her many travels, Wendy's tastes in materials also matured. Although still just a hobby at this stage, she amassed a prized collection of exquisite stones and crystals whilst in India and the Far East. As well as creating some exceptional necklaces and bracelets as gifts around this time, this is really when her instincts for sourcing high quality and beautiful natural materials really started to develop.
People started to notice Wendy's talents and soon enough requests were coming in for her to create more of these bespoke pieces - a seed was sown which would start a thought process leading to the first steps in The Branch being born...
What was intended as a holiday became an inspiration Wendy could never have expected. Travelling through the towns and villages, stopping at markets and small stalls, she was struck by the bold shapes and natural materials used in their indigenous jewellery. At one village in Malawi Wendy met and befriended a talented wood carver and commissioned a selection of bangles to be made. They were so simple and so beautiful she just knew this is what she wanted to be doing with her life.
After investigation into the commercial practicalities, and with a mind to maintaining an ethical and sustainable source of wood, Wendy knew that a return to Indonesia was the best place to start. There she was introduced to local experts and a selection of extremely talented craftsmen - together as a team they developed a workshop where the first of Wendy's designs were produced. The core team has remained the same with the addition of more craftsmen and women as the orders rapidly increased and now the team are spread over two workshops which Wendy visits twice a year.
With the initial help of The Prince's Trust and the recognition of The British Fashion Council, Wendy's talent and innovative, bold designs have become recognised and admired worldwide. The Branch has grown from strength to strength, and is now sold in some of the most exclusive stores and boutiques across the world. Wendy's designs have been featured in catwalk shows in the UK and Europe and regularly receive great acclaim from the world's leading fashion magazines. Wendy's ideas know no bounds. Often to be seen scribbling down ideas, her inspiration can and does come from everywhere and everything.
