"Sima Vaziry has created beautifully designed Afghan inspired jewellery which highlight, renew, and promote the rich cultural heritage of Afghanistan."
His Excellency Mr. Homayoun Tandar, the Afghan Ambassador in London
"Sima Vaziry creates jewelry of exquisite charm and attractiveness, inspired by Islamic designs and the precious metals and stones of Afghanistan and Persia. She is a fine artist with a mature and distinctive style whose work is attracting increasing interest and appreciation and deservedly so."
David Page,
Afghanaid chair
"Sima Vaziry is an exiting, new, up and coming talent. Her work is exquisitely handcrafted and she has a true eye for design – she is an inspirational British jewellery artist and I am certain there is much more to see from her in the future – watch this space!"
Jessica Rose, Director,
London Jewellery School
Sima’s journey into jewellery began as a child, when she used to dress up and play with her mother’s jewellery. As she grew older, her father would buy her small pieces of jewellery, some of which have remained treasured possessions, with turquoise and cornelian becoming firm favourites.
He also instilled a deep appreciation of calligraphy and poetry in Sima and she remembers falling asleep to the sound of Hafez and Rumi poems when the whole family would sleep on the roof terrace to escape the heat of her native city by the Persian Gulf. It was there that she first heard of lapis lazuli, the word used to describe the deep blue colour of the sky when the day turned into night.
When she was forced out of this environment as a teenager, she found herself alone in new surroundings in Britain and learned to adapt and embrace a new culture and was enriched by another view of the world.
Sima was always artistically inclined, painting and crafting from a very young age. She became attracted to graphic arts as a means to overcome language and cultural barriers in her new life. After completing a diploma in graphic design, she went on to obtain her BA in Visual Communications (graphic design) at Ravensbourne and completed a Master’s at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, which led to a successful career as a graphic artist and designer.
When Sima married her Afghan husband, she found the shared language, culture and heritage opened another door for creative expression.
She eventually felt the need to express her history, art and ideas through the medium of jewellery. Taking a number of short courses over the course of two years, she managed to successfully develop her jewellery design from hobby into a serious career. She has been teaching at the London Jewellery School in Hatton Garden since April 2010.
Sima’s jewellery reflects the culture of her heritage and her personal experiences, as well as the design disciplines acquired during her academic and professional life. Sima makes jewellery that is versatile and comfortable to wear in a modern world, whilst keeping its link to the ancient beauty of its provenance.
Her work is based on transferring her designs from digital media to silver and gold, and combining this with gems and other materials.
With her handmade jewellery, she hopes to encourage positive feelings towards that part of the world and to promote its ancient hidden beauty, culture and heart.
She exhibited her first Afghan inspired collection at the Afghan Fashion Show in October 2010. Her designs have been selected for display and sale at the Grenville Room in the British Museum for the duration of a major upcoming exhibition which opens on 3 March 2011.
Sima is working on expanding her collections as well as taking on bespoke work. She also teaches at the London Jewellery School in Hatton Garden.