© 2024 All rights reserved
Taz Watson is a sought after South African fine jewellery designer and a 3rd generation gemologist, with a passion for gemstones and expertly-crafted unique jewellery. Each of her pieces is designed with the intention to be functional and comfortable, but with an air of whimsical eccentricity that brings joy and delight to the wearer.
Through her exquisite use of colour, thoughtful design details, sentimental touches and a high-quality finish, Taz manages to transform gemstones and diamonds into eye-catching, modern heirlooms that echo her unique voice.
“I don’t believe that fine jewellery needs to be too serious or trend-driven– it should be a celebration of individuality and have a meaningful, heirloom quality about it. I believe jewellery is about the feelings it evokes in you – if you feel something special when you look at it, then it will always be meaningful and timeless”.
While Taz grew up with an in-depth knowledge of the industry and was mentored by her grandfather, parents, and older brother, who are all gemologists themselves. She formalized her expertise by attending the esteemed Gemological Institute of America (GIA). Taz studied jewellery design (JD) at the New York campus before moving to the headquarters campus in Carlsbad, California, where she graduated with diplomas in Graduate Jeweler (GJ), Computer-Aided Design (CAD), and Gemology and Diamond Grading.
Taz co-owned a demi-fine jewellery business in Canada for several years and continued to run it even after she returned to South Africa to further her industry experience in retail, custom design, and manufacture. Taz also worked as a jewellery buyer for several high-end boutique stores throughout Southern Africa and has traveled to jewelry trade shows all over the world. After gaining several years of practical and technical experience, Taz decided to start her own African fine jewellery brand, KiiRA, which is best known for its high-quality, iconic Table Mountain designs and has now evolved into a social enterprise that supports African artisans.
Recently, Taz expanded her business by creating a luxury brand under her own name and debuted Taz Watson Fine Jewellery with an exclusive 3-collection collaboration with Strauss & Co in 2022 with Jo-Ann Strauss as the face of the collaboration. Taz continues to create limited edition collections and one-off pieces, to add colour and joy to jewellery collectors all over the world.
Taz’s family business has specialized in gemstones, diamonds, and fine jewellery for several decades. Taz is fortunate to be able to draw on these deep industry connections and have access to some of the world’s largest and most trusted diamond and gemstone cutters and suppliers. Taz’s father, a top gemologist and jewelry and diamond expert, has been her greatest mentor. She continues to work closely with him to source exquisite, fairly priced gemstones and diamonds from around the world, carefully considering their provenance and ethical footprint
From a design perspective, Taz has been mentored over the years by international teachers and designers with experience from some of the world’s top high-jewellery houses, as well as expert gem-cutters and highly experienced goldsmiths, whom she works closely with to push creative boundaries and bring her whimsical designs to life.
© 2024 All rights reserved
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