For a jewellery brand to decide to open its first UK store – and in fact, its first outside of the US – right opposite beloved jeweller Jessica McCormack’s beautiful, always-busy flagship townhouse on Mount Street might seem bold. But step inside Foundrae’s gorgeous new Mount Street boutique, and you’ll see why it might back itself as competition.
“London has always felt deeply aligned with Foundrae,” says Ohio-born Beth Hutchens, who founded the brand in 2015. “Mount Street is the quintessential London street, where history and modernity exist together. That same balance is at the heart of what we create.”
Her designs centre on talismanic pieces and mythological emblems crafted in 18-karat gold. From hearts and moons to butterfly wings, sparrows and wheatsheaves, Foundrae has something to commemorate every occasion – whether a dazzling diamond-encrusted initial pendant for the birth of a child or an onyx horseshoe for luck in exams – and has a roster of celebrity fans, among them Reese Witherspoon, Emily Blunt and Taylor Swift.
“I wanted to create jewellery that was more than adornments; pieces that become tools for self-discovery and self-expression,” says Hutchens, who launched her brand into Liberty’s jewellery hall last year to great success. “Our clients are seekers. They come to commemorate meaningful moments, celebrate personal milestones, and create pieces that evolve alongside their lives and can be passed from one generation to the next.
The store’s prime location, sandwiched between the Prada-owned pasticceria Marchesi 1824 and Barbara Sturm’s clinic, is perfect for attracting the breadth of Mount Steet’s traffic, from fashion girls hitting up Toteme’s sleek flagship to American tourists staying at The Connaught. Inside, the interiors are all plush cherry red and mahogany, conjuring the feeling of an old library. The walls are lined with glass boxes containing vintage postcards, tarot cards and other ephemera alongside the gorgeous gems all capped with row upon row of books. “Creating a library was a very natural idea for us,” Hutchens says, who regards the collecting of charms as a form of authorship of one’s life. “Each medallion is a chapter and collected one at a time.”
A theme of symbols runs throughout, most notably in the large hand-painted tarot-style cards that are embedded in the ceiling panels and on the windowpanes leading to the interior garden. “I see symbols as tools of self-discovery and self-expression; a means of accessing and expressing abstract ideas and deeply held values,” says Hutchens. In the back, after the garden, comes the cosy United in Love room, complete with velvet sofas and a marble fireplace, where the “commitment collections” (jewellery to mark engagements and weddings) are on display and the brand takes private appointments. Downstairs an in-house engraver is on hand for further personalisation.
Each new Foundrae store has its own signature seal. London’s is the Double Cherry, two cherries paired together and joined at the stem, chosen to symbolise partnership and because, apparently, the wild cherry is native to all parts of the United Kingdom. As well as appearing above the doorway of the Mayfair store, the Double Cherry features on an exclusive 18-carat medallion (£6300, only available in store). The medallions are a brand signature and come in several sizes with endless mix and match and stacking opportunities.
There’s something about the variety among the product – from ultra-chunky diamond-encrusted chains that will appeal to the fashion week set right, through to dainty butterfly wing bracelets – that feels very London. “I’m inspired by universal symbols found across cultures and throughout history, from mythology and folklore to astrology and ancient philosophy,” says Hutchens. “I'm always searching for the golden thread of commonality that connects us all.”
Foundrae
119a Mount Street, W1K 3NL
Hours:
Mon to Sat 10am–6pm
