Taking inspiration from her mother, an artist and jeweller who ran her own social enterprise in Lebanon, Rayanne Chami, founder of Ray Makes Things, began creating jewellery from freshwater pearls and all of her exquisite, handcrafted collection items feature freshwater pearls. For Pearls & Pomegranates, Ray has designed an exciting exclusive collection using solid 14ct yellow gold and the highest quality freshwater pearls.

Ray moved to London from Lebanon to complete her PhD in Psychology when she had a cancer scare. She returned to her hometown for a biopsy, where she took up jewellery-making to occupy her mind while she awaited her results (which were negative!). It was during this difficult time that she discovered a surprising passion: making and selling jewellery.

"It's brought happiness and meaning to my life in a way I still find hard to describe," says Ray.