Charlotte Penman is an artist and designer whose creative journey spans sculpture, textiles, film, and photography – yet it’s jewellery that has captured her heart and imagination.
With a profound respect for craftsmanship and storytelling, Charlotte creates pieces that transcend trends to become modern heirlooms, intimately woven into the lives and memories of their owners. Drawing on her diverse artistic background and a deep fascination with gemstones, her work is a beautiful synthesis of form, light, and meaning.
In this insightful Q&A, Charlotte opens up about the inspirations behind her enduring designs, the delicate balance between artistry and business, and how personal history and heritage shape her unique collections. She also shares what’s on the horizon for her brand – including exciting collaborations and new creative chapters – inviting us into the evolving world of Charlotte Penman Jewellery.
You’ve explored so many different mediums – from sculpture and textiles to film and photography. What is it about jewellery that keeps drawing you back, and how do those other forms of art still influence your work today?
For me, it’s about creating lasting beauty, something that becomes a part of someone’s life in a very intimate, almost unseen way. Jewellery holds memory and emotion, weaving the intimate stories of our lives into everyday life…
When I started making jewellery, I was travelling the world and needing an outlet, but it was while I was at Elam that my pieces started to gain traction… It was really just something I did in my spare time because I loved it, but somehow it’s the thing that stuck… However, studying art history, fine arts and working in multimedia, installation, sculpture, and painting inherently informed and still informs my design work.. Gemstones are to me one of the great mysteries of the earth, and working with them has kept me captivated… Their ancient histories, the colour palette, the way they carry light and meaning. It was the stones that pulled me in first. That moment of awe hasn’t really left me.
I still draw on all those other medium’s, the discipline of sculpture, the emotion of painting, the texture of textiles. Jewellery is a beautiful synthesis of them all. It allows me to work with form, light, and material in a way that feels timeless yet personal.
Your bespoke pieces often become modern heirlooms. When you’re designing with that kind of longevity in mind, what matters most – the story, the materials, or the craftsmanship?
It’s a harmony of all three. But above all, I return to intention. Each piece is created with care, reverence, and deep respect for its future life.
There is such privilege in being trusted to craft something for a milestone moment, a birth, an engagement, an anniversary, the death of a loved one. I hold that responsibility closely. I’m always thinking about how this piece will travel through time, how it might be held, worn, passed on. Will it still whisper the same story to a granddaughter one day?
Attention to detail and a focus on craftsmanship is at the heart of everything I do. A piece must be built to endure and to move through decades, through lives. The materials must be honourable and ethically sourced. And the story? That’s the heart, and what breathes life into the piece. I often find myself imagining the hands that will wear it in the years to come, hands that will comfort, celebrate, create, and hold others.
You’ve built such a rich and enduring career – from those early days with your father’s jewellery tools to now, running your own brand. Looking back, what have been some of the biggest lessons you’ve learned along the way?
One of my favourite sayings is, From chaos comes order. They are words I live by, and come back to over and over… Most everything I do seems to come from almost like an explosion of thoughts, materials, emotions, etc… However, there needs to be structure to create something long-lasting, you need strong foundations, systems, processes, and clarity in order to create freely. This is something that took me a while to realise, as I once felt like being too systematic would steal my creativity, but art and the business must dance together.
When I first started, I was guided purely by intuition and creativity. That’s still my compass, but over time, I’ve learned that nurturing the operational side of a business is what gives you the freedom to truly create. Systems create space for artistry.
I’ve also learned to honour my rhythm. I am a mum of 3 from a huge family, as well as an artist and business woman, so it’s a big juggle at times and life can throw some curveballs; however, as women in business, we must learn to listen to our bodies, trust the seasons, and creativity doesn’t flourish under constant demand. It needs nourishment, stillness, and spaciousness. Staying grounded in who I am and what I want this brand to stand for has been essential.
In an industry that’s constantly evolving, how have you managed to stay true to your creative vision while growing a business and adapting to change?
It’s not something I think about often, to be honest, I work intuitively and trust my vision. I’m endlessly curious. I am inherently inspired by history, nature, literature, architecture, memory, and emotion. But I also believe in quiet timelessness, pieces that transcend trends, and that will feel just as relevant in 20 years as they do today. That’s what I aim to create.
Growth, for me, has always been organic. It’s been about deepening, rather than expanding for the sake of scale. I’d rather build slowly and meaningfully, ensuring everything, from the materials to the experience, is aligned with my values.
Who inspires you creatively? Are there any muses or moguls, past or present, who you’d love to see wearing a Charlotte Penman piece?
My grandmother has always been a quiet muse. Her style was understated and very minimalist. A lesson in restraint and refinement. She was a career woman before many women worked, as was my Great-grandmother, so it has always felt natural to balance motherhood with purpose. Her influence runs through many of my designs, as does my mum. Growing up in a turn-of-the-century bungalow, my mum’s wardrobe was a long cupboard at the head of her bed, with a door on either side. She was an avid collector of interesting clothes, new and vintage, shoes and had a huge clamshell filled with glass beads at the entrance. It was like stepping into Narnia, and I would spend hours in there!
If I had to pick an icon, it would be Frida Kahlo, who I have been obsessed with since I was a teenager. I had been long planning a collection and had a folder of inspo and mood board named ‘My Teen Idol’ on my computer. So when Auckland Art Gallery approached us to collaborate on a collection inspired by the exhibit Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera: Art and Life in Modern Mexico, my assistant Maya and I nearly fainted. This allowed us the opportunity to more directly reference her work, and a favourite piece from the collection that we renamed ‘Beso e Frida’, are hand-carved recycled Buffalo Horn earrings and a pendant, inspired by a pair of earrings Picasso gifted to Frida in Paris. It was a powerful full-circle moment.
What’s next for you and the brand? Are there any new collections, collaborations, or creative directions on the horizon that you’re excited about?
The future feels full of movement, both literally and creatively. We are currently moving to a garden studio and will have a space in the city also for our bespoke clients. After 3 years based in Devonport, this feels like an exciting new chapter, and I can’t wait to share more of this next chapter.
Creating bespoke work is ever-changing and deeply personal. We are currently working with clients in New Zealand and overseas, so that always feels pretty fresh and exciting…
We are also collaborating with Alex Sands on a one of a kind, hand-carved collection in collaboration with Auckland Art Gallery. It’s been in development for over a year, as we draw all the elements together, and will be released later in the year… It’s deeply rooted in local history and feels very meaningful, incorporating heritage elements that draw inspiration from the past to create something modern and new.
