When you are in the jewellery business one of the few things better than getting your name in lights is possibly getting your name in 'Vanity Fair' magazine.

But that is exactly what happened recently for Bermudian jeweller Melanie Eddy.

Her name was mentioned in the August United Kingdom edition of one of the world's top circulating magazines, in connection with the upcoming Goldsmiths' Fair in London.

"The 'Vanity Fair' article was a bit of a surprise," Miss Eddy told The Royal Gazette. "The Goldsmiths' Fair is for contemporary jewellers and silversmiths. It runs for two weeks. It is a different group of craftsmen each week.

"People from throughout the United Kingdom come for the show."

Miss Eddy will be taking part from September 28 to October 4.

The show is a particular honour because she received a graduate bursary from the Goldsmiths' Company.

"Five people for each week of the show were awarded a bursary which is essentially a free stand," she said. "Normally, it would cost upwards of £600 to have a stall. I was also given some funds to get my stock up for the fair.

"I have done some work for Goldsmiths' Company which is a livery company that has been working since the 1300s."

Miss Eddy has a workshop in Hatton Garden, London, where she designs and sells her own work.

"I do mainly sculptural pieces," Miss Eddy said. "A lot of my work is influenced by geometry. I work with silver and gold. This year I will be introducing gem stones into my main collection for the first time."

She has offered gem stones before, but only on commission. "I will be working with sapphires, and diamonds on a small scale," she said. "I am not sure yet, but possibly also carnelians and emeralds."

Miss Eddy said when she first moved to London in 2004, she never imagined that she would still be living there five years later.

"I have been going one step "I have been going one step at a time and seeing what is out there," she said. "So far it has been interesting and exciting."

She first became interested in jewellery while in university. "I was here on summer break," said Miss Eddy. "I went to the Gem Cellar with my mother.

"While she was picking up something, I started looking at the work on display.

"The owner, Chet Trott, was there. He saw I had taken an interest in some of the work there. I asked him some questions about the stones. He said if I wanted to come down on Saturdays and see what they did, I was welcome."

After one Saturday spent with Gem Cellar she was hooked. For the following summers, she worked for the Gem Cellar. "Chet taught me different skills," she said.

She graduated from Western University in London, Ontario, Canada, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Combined Honors English and International and Comparative Studies. After university she worked for two years at H.S. & J.E. Crisson Ltd.

"I was working there in the jewellery department making pieces and doing repairs," she said. "I was also doing some work, more on the retail side.

"I was working under Don Anderson. He was the head jeweller there. He was very knowledgeable and helped to teach me various techniques."

She went to London when she received a Bermuda Arts Council Grant to take a jewellery course at the Royal College of Art.

"Once I did that I realised I wanted some more formal training," she said.

Miss Eddy went on to do a masters degree at Central St. Martins College of Art and Design in London.

"I have done all kinds of things since I have been here," she said. "I have worked with jewellery publications. I did some work for an art gallery helping to put together an exhibition of jewellers and silversmiths.

"I also did some work with the Victoria & Albert (V&A) Museum helping them with the installation of a new jewellery gallery in May 2008."

She said one of the main challenges of running a jewellery business was the cost of the materials.

"Building up your stock is expensive," she said. "Some of the tools you need are not inexpensive, and you need quite a lot of tools.

"There is quite a lot of kit you need to get started. Even though I have a lot of my own hand tools, there is lots of other large scale machinery you may or may not need."

She said to carry out a recent commission to create a pair of spoons, she had to borrow a silversmithing workshop.

"There are certain things you can or can not do depending on what tools you have," she said.

Miss Eddy said there were other challenges to operating a jewellery business in the UK.

"Most of the galleries carry your stuff on sale or return," she said. "When they sell your piece, they give you the money for it.

"You are essentially stocking their premises for them, with the benefit of exposure for yourself."

Because of the costliness of this method she tends to sell her work through trade shows and exhibitions, or through her own workshop.

She is a licentiate of the Society of Designer Craftsmen with Distinction.

Miss Eddy took part in an exhibition with the society in January, one of a small handful of jewellers to be invited to take part in the exhibition.

Her goals for the future are to narrow down some of her activities and to devote more time to developing her collection.

"I want my stuff stocked in more shops throughout the UK," she said. "I would also like to have my stuff stocked in Bermuda."

She said her perceptions of what is possible have changed a great deal since she started in the business.

"I didn't know there were other ways you could work relating to jewellery, such as writing for publications, or working with museums," she said.

"Bermudians coming up through school should explore all their options."

She said she was lucky to be awarded the Butterfield Bank Visual Arts Award in 2006.

"Once you are abroad take every opportunity to do things you can't do in Bermuda," she said. "I never thought I could be involved helping out at the V&A Museum, but the opportunity came up."

She told other young Bermudians not to sell themselves short, just because they came from a small island.

"If you don't put yourself out there, you don't know what is possible."

For more information about the Goldsmiths' Fair go to http://www.thegoldsmiths.co.uk/events/ .