There is nothing I love more than going back to Mexico. It is my soul country.  I feel like I have arrived back home when I get there. It is the warmth and humour of the people and the artistry that keeps my heart there.

But there is also something indescribably surreal or dreamlike about Mexico. I am not quite sure what it is.   Perhaps it is the diversity that comes from the inheritance of two cultures, the indigenous and the Spanish that live together, side by side.  It is an intoxicating mix, and is evident in its food, music, handicrafts and language.

Mexico is the Najo heritage and so much of our identity and inspiration is tied up with the traditions of the silver industry there. Our collections spring from the creativity and extraordinary craftsmanship of the silversmiths of Taxco.

The creativity in Mexico is evident in in all aspects of daily life, from their daily expressions of clever jokes and play on words to the sweetness and humour of their handicrafts.

So on my recent trip there, not only did I experience the absolute delight of looking at handmade silver jewellery, talking to the silver smiths and working on designs, I also breathed in all that I could during my stay. I wandered the winding cobbled streets and markets, day and night.

Each day I ate in my favourite restaurant in the courtyard of a converted 1620 monastery, now a hotel. I ate Maguey, a fruit from the agave succulent plant with a creamy texture and weird taste, and I delighted in the traditional “chicken with mole”, an extraordinary dish, the sauce made from 20 or more ingredients, mainly chiles, spices and chocolate!

I discovered the original house and workshop of the famed William Spratling , the man who was responsible for the resurgence of the silver industry in Taxco,  and who had an enormous influence on 20^th century silver jewellery design. Many of his designs are still manufactured today and the original pieces are prized collector’s items.

One lazy Saturday afternoon I spent wandering the Portobello Road market. What a treat! This historic market runs a good two miles through Notting Hill and is jam packed with vendors and visitors alike. For years this market has been world renowned for ‘its antiques, bric-a-brac, fashion and pre loved clothes. It is a forager’s delight, and my mission was jewellery inspiration.

So with my friend Narena, also a total jewellery aficionado, I went scouring the market for jewellery ideas, samples and new trends. We found an abundance and bought samples from antiques to plastic trinkets. All those influences will be trickling through into the next Najo collection that will be released at the end of February.

My friend Nareena helping me source

Portobello Markets

Liberty's

To shop in the department stores in London is a totally different experience. The Brits really know how to do it well! The fine jewellery department of Harrods, Liberty’s and Harvey Nichols is mind blowing and I couldn’t tear myself away. I must say that Liberty’s is probably the loveliest and most tasteful retail environment that I have ever been in.

St Pauls

London Grafitti

The Shard

Trellick Tower

Oh, to live in London, I think I would love it! To look at the cityscape over the Thames, to see the old and new together, like the classically beautiful St Pauls to the splintering elegance of Renzo Piano’s new building ‘The Shard’, or the iconic brutalist Trellick tower, to the gorgeous graffiti of Shoreditch, this would be a dream. Just to live in one of those simple little Georgian houses would do me!

As Najo jewellery is all about storytelling, themes, and defining your individual story, our little boxes are in the form of a story book.

Each box features the Najo  distinctive pattern and come in our 3 theme colours with matching soft suede pouches, to keep your jewellery snug and safe.

Such beautiful presentation is perfect for gift giving, and especially now for the Festive Season.

We hope you love our new packaging as much as we do!

For jewellery designers, silver is a perfect metal. Apart from its beauty – what is more gorgeous than a highly polished bangle on tanned skin? – it is affordable. Jewellery designers can experiment with large fashion inspired designs and not break the bank. Silver lends itself to all traditional jewellery making techniques. It can be set with sparkling diamonds and semi precious stones, veneered with brilliant patterns of enamel, gilded or oxidised to emphasise surface patterns. It combines beautifully with other materials such as leather, wood, resins and it can be anti-tarnished to prevent discolouration.

They say silver is the new gold and certainly the steep rise in the gold price – more than 5 fold in the last 10 years – makes this beautiful metal such an attractive option.

Silver has become an aspirational purchase!

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and Najo is supporting this great cause by helping to raise much needed funds for research by donating $5 from the sale of our ‘Pink Rapture’ items during the month of October.

The National Breast Cancer Foundation raises money for research into the prevention and cure of breast cancer. Their aspirational goal is to have zero deaths from breast cancer by 2030.

I’m sure each and every one of you would know someone who has been affected by breast cancer. Whether it’s a family member, friend or colleague that has been affected, it is a cause close to all of our hearts.

Over $81 million has been raised for research projects around Australia since this great organisation was started in 1994, but with 38 Australian women still being diagnosed every day there is still a long way to go.

As part of the launch of our latest Rapture release we have created a special ‘Pink Rapture’ collection and we will be donating $5 from every sale of these items during the month of October.

Help us raise money for breast cancer research by either shopping these special pieces on line marked with a pink ribbon or visit one of our ‘Pink Rapture’ stockists listed on our store finder.

To find out more about this great organisation or to donate click the link below:

 “La Senora” is the next story in our Fiesta Collection.

We wanted to express the darker side of the fiesta with La Senora. It has a smoky, mysterious tone, and it is about the surreal world of old Mexico, so we have used symbolic and traditional motifs in intricate, oxidised designs.

The inspiration for this came by looking at the photos of the passionate Mexican painter Frida Kahlo, and her lovely traditional Mexican attire. She always wore beautiful hand woven dark shawls, full dresses made from richly embroidered cloth, layers of necklaces, intricate chandelier earrings and rings on every finger.

Steep yourself into the darker side of Mexico with La Senora...

I imagine proud, skillful horsemen, prancing horses, twirling lassoos and the wide sierra. I hear Mariachis singing the traditional rancheros.

Mixed metal discs hanging from cord necklaces, pyramid shapes on stretch bracelets, spinning rings, beaten brass and silver collars are just some of the designs from Charro.

Embrace the Mexican spirit with “Charro”!!

Najo’s collections reflect inspired storytelling and breathe new life into our jewellery, and we are excited to launch “Mexicana” - the first story in this collection.

When creating the story we visualized terraces festooned with bright, cut out paper banners, vivid twirling skirts, mariachis playing and singing, and the tequila flowing

Mexicana is full of semi-precious stones, intricate patterning and captivating traditional charms.

It brings a riot of colour, a touch of mystery and a timeless elegance to our Fiesta collection. Layer them profusely for a beautiful, authentic fiesta look.

Get into the party mood and celebrate with “Mexicana”!!

We realized that our heritage is founded on 3 things: a passion for good design, our Mexican heritage and the power of storytelling. Now we have a complete visual language to reflect our essence. We have an elegant new brandmark, a new and fresh colour palette, a beautiful pattern and unique packaging.

We tell stories with our jewellery and we want you to tell your story when you choose your piece. Our new packaging is in the form of a little book, so you can create your own memories with your own piece of jewellery. The new packaging won’t be available until early November (yes, I’m annoyed about that too), but it will be worth the wait. You will love it when you see it!

Soon you will see all this in store where displays will be updated with new colours and patterns that totally refreshes how you see us.

Together with the  new Najo look comes the launch of our latest collection “Fiesta”. We wanted to capture the warmth, colour and energetic joy that is inherent in the Mexican fiesta. Inspired by the intricate detailing of traditional Mexican design and symbols, the collection is full of colourful semi precious stones, mixed metals and captivating charms. Find your nearest stockist and discover the  Fiesta Collection in store now!!

We hope you love the new Najo personality and the Fiesta collection as much as we do!