A new independent gift shop has opened in Freshwater. Curios offers crystals and jewellery, alongside handcrafted gifts.
Jewels are an Important Part of our Culture
For thousands of years now, gemstones have been important symbols for wealth, commemoration and even the occult. Ancient Egyptian emeralds and the Crown Jewels of Britain have captivated civilisations.
Our love of jewels has extended into culture and entertainment. Inside the Dream is a documentary that follows Lucia Silvestri as she travels from Rome to India to search for exceptional gemstones, including rare emeralds. Sharing the Rough takes viewers on a trip through the gemstone mines in Tanzania.
In iGaming, slot games often use rubies, diamonds, or emeralds to denote prize values. One example would be Five Jewels, one of the PP games available to play on Paddy Power, where diamonds, rubies and citrine award different amounts. One Hollywood movie, Uncut Gems, by the Safdie Brothers, centres its entire plot around an Ethiopian black opal. The idea of this movie is that some gemstones are worth far more than their weight in gold.
Titles like this demonstrate how gems are intrinsically tied to wealth and fortune.
With all this in mind, it’s evident that mankind’s love of gemstones has always been there, and the UK population is no exception. With that said, it takes more than a good product to make a small business work, yet Curios has managed to make itself into quite a popular local venture.
The New Store Opened in March
The new store is located on School Green Road. Donna Thomas built a solid following through local events and by sharing local retail space. After experiencing such success, she made the decision to open up her very own, permanent shop. The store stocks a range of handmade jewellery, incense, gifts and crystals.
Everything is sourced from local makers, and there is a range of accessories on display. While luxury brands and royal collections often focus on expensive collections, independent jewellery shops are just as important.
Curios is giving Isle of Wight creatives the chance to showcase their work to residents and visitors, while also keeping money circulating within the local economy. By providing unique pieces that cannot be found on the high street, it’s a valuable addition.
As more and more independent retailers and small shops like Curios try to differentiate themselves from national chains, Donna is clearly demonstrating how much demand there really is for locally-made products and personalised services.
Since opening Curios, Donna has experienced a steady stream of local customers, and people coming from out of town. She hopes to expand her range of products even more as the years go by, venturing into things like incense, as well as gemstones and jewellery. By focusing on such a niche, Donna hopes that she can make a real difference to the high street while also offering products that aren’t available elsewhere.
The Isle of Wight currently supports a record-high number of 6,739 registered businesses, with small and micro businesses accounting for a large proportion of current numbers. The local economy relies on key sectors, which include professional and technical services, but at the same time, retail and tourism generate 38% of the island’s GDP.
