As 2025 comes to a close, I have been looking back at a year filled with tiny treasures, major milestones, and so many moments that reminded me why I created Sorrell Jewels. This has been a year of emotional growth, creative breakthroughs, and business firsts, and it has reminded me just how magical jewellery can be.

Emily at her market stall, a curated display of silver charms and rings, and an outdoor selfie of Emily showing her rings in bright winter light. — A look forward toward new markets new treasures and new adventures. I cannot wait to see where next year leads.

A Love Letter to the Year

This year I celebrated four years of Sorrell Jewels with eight markets and pop ups and sixteen website drops. It has been busy in the very best way. I spent the year curating themed collections, treasure hunting, packaging your beautiful orders, and preparing for markets with Elliot ready to supervise from the sidelines.

What fills my heart the most is the people who return time and time again. Some of my biggest customers this year have been with me since my Depop days. Seeing familiar faces at markets and noticing you wearing your Sorrell Jewels pieces still gives me the best feeling.

Emotionally this year has taught me a lot. My confidence has grown in ways I did not expect, even though I still experience moments of self doubt. My chronic illness shapes how I work and rest, and it often becomes its own learning curve. I faced more challenges than I expected, but I have also learnt how to pace myself more gently.

A conversation with the lovely Salad Days girls in October stayed with me. We talked about how easily we move our own goalposts. It made me realise how important it is to pause and notice what has actually been achieved.

A dish of lucky themed charms, rainbow gemstone rings stacked across the fingers, and Emily sourcing jewellery at a busy market stall. — Tiny talismans and rainbow rings. Two collections that carried so much joy and shaped the creative direction of the year.

The Drops That Defined the Year

Lucky Charms Collection

My first themed charm release filled with clovers, horseshoes, dice, keys and other tiny talismans of luck. I loved watching you build your own stories with these sentimental little symbols.

The Rainbow Ring Box

A joyful curation of forty nine one of a kind rings featuring bright colours, unusual silhouettes and endless personality. I adore playful jewellery and this box was a dream to curate.

Throughout the year I learnt to trust my instinct more deeply. I made braver purchasing decisions and gave myself permission to follow my eye. The risk paid off and it has shaped the way I think about future curation.

Hands styled in festive gemstone rings on a red velvet box, a close up of chunky silver rings stacked on every finger, and hands holding a ponytail adorned with colourful vintage rings. — Festive treasures in their natural habitat. Classic stones, sentimental sparkle and the rings that made this collection feel so special.

The Christmas Ring Box The Grand Finale

I began sourcing pieces for this collection in August and continued to search through the autumn including on a special trip to Crete. I returned to the same little treasure filled shops that I visited last year simply because they were too good to resist.

This years Christmas box feels classic and nostalgic with stones and styles that hold a real sense of meaning. Ending the year with this collection felt like closing the chapter with sparkle and sentiment.

The heart of Sorrell Jewels Elliot, you and the community that makes every collection feel meaningful.

Benchmarks and Business Milestones

My First Office

This year I finally moved into a proper workspace for Sorrell Jewels. It feels amazing to have a room dedicated entirely to creativity and organisation rather than taking over my sofa or bedroom floor.

Charm Connectors Launch

In May I released charm connectors and you completely sold me out within days. Watching you create personalised stacks and experiment with them has been such a joy.

Ten Thousand on Tik Tok

Sharing behind the scenes moments, sourcing trips and little vintage oddities with you has been so much fun.

The Courtauld Gallery

Having Sorrell Jewels stocked at the Courtauld Gallery inside Somerset House still feels surreal. Seeing an edit of rings, chains and charms displayed among legendary artworks will forever be one of my proudest moments.

The Big Rebrand

This year Sorrell Jewels had a full visual transformation which included new packaging and a refreshed website. The wonderful piece of the peach created a dreamy new identity and shiny happy digital brought the website to life. It finally feels like the brand I have been carrying in my heart.

Shoppers gathered around the Sorrell Jewels table, a customer wearing layered silver rings and chains, and trays of charms and rings arranged in pink and green velvet. — Market magic in full swing. Nothing beats seeing you try things on and watching the sparkle come to life in real time.

Markets and Real Life Jewellery Moments

One of the biggest moments of the year was my best ever sales day with Salad Days. Their markets have a special energy that always fills me up even when I am exhausted.

The best part of markets is meeting the wonderful customers who return again and again and seeing your collections grow. I have even made genuine friendships behind the stall which is something I never expected when I started.

Markets remind me of a few things every time:

Jewellery is meant to be tried on
Real connection builds real community
Seeing pieces in person brings the brand to life
Feedback is instant and invaluable
Confidence grows with practice

Three engraved gold bands held between fingers, a velvet tray of silver charms, and a hand covered in vintage gold and silver rings in natural light. — A few of the treasures I still think about. The rings and charms that carried stories and almost became keepers.

The Pieces That Meant the Most

There are always a handful of pieces each year that stay with me. They are not always the rarest or the most expensive. They are simply the ones that spark emotion. I have a rule that I can only keep one piece every six months and it makes each selection feel like a special ritual.

Layered necklaces with vintage charms including a bean, a tiny flip phone and an ice cream cone. Shoppers trying on rings at the Sorrell Jewels market table. A close up of a hand stacked with silver rings and bright patterned nails. — Charm filled layers, curious market moments and the joyful hands that bring each piece to life.

The People and Community

I am constantly inspired by independent makers and creative small businesses. The talent in this world is unbelievable.

I am grateful for:

Small business friends
Ambassadors who share their sparkle
Collectors and returning customers
Quiet supporters who cheer from the sidelines

My favourite ritual is looking through your photos at the end of the year. Seeing my pieces in your everyday moments as well as the sentimental ones makes everything feel worthwhile.

Behind the Scenes The Reality

This year taught me resilience. The rising cost of gold affected the entire jewellery industry and became a real challenge for Sorrell Jewels. Managing my chronic illness required patience and pacing. Some things became easier and others became harder but I found a new sense of confidence in the process.

Emily holding a stack of Sorrell ring boxes, hands in sunlight wearing vintage rings, and a flat lay of colourful beaded and silver charm necklaces. — Behind the scenes moments from packing days to sunlight filled styling. The quiet lessons that shaped the year.

What 2025 Taught Me About Jewellery and Meaning

Jewellery is memory. It is ritual. It is a way of marking chapters in our lives.

This year I shared more of my personal collection with you which included holiday finds and pieces collected to celebrate small business milestones. Your response was incredibly encouraging and made me feel more connected to you.

I have also fallen deeper into my fascination with the psychology of jewellery and the meaning behind motifs and symbols. Slow and intentional collecting has never felt more important.

Emily sitting with Elliot outdoors, a close up of colourful vintage rings on pink velvet, and Emily standing behind her full market display. — A little glimpse into the moments that shaped this year from Elliot filled breaks to colourful treasure trays to another joyful market day.

Looking Ahead to 2026

Next year I hope to source treasures from new countries and expand the Sorrell range with more charms, chains, bracelets and sentimental keepsakes. I also want to protect my energy and allow for more rest and care.

Thank You for Being Here

Running Sorrell Jewels around my chronic illness is not always easy but it is my dream come true. I still cannot believe that I get to spend my days searching for vintage treasures and sharing them with you.

Thank you for supporting this little world I have created.

I would love to know your favourite Sorrell moment or piece from 2025.

Year in Jewels A 2025 Reflection