About the designer

As the granddaughter and niece of professional jewellers, Marissa Irwin has been draping herself in gemstones from a very young age. Her first designs included graduation gifts for her elementary school girlfriends and birthday presents for her Mom and beloved grandmothers.

She continued making jewellery throughout high school and college, hosting trunk shows at her family’s jewellery store in Connecticut and selling earrings alongside local artisans at her town’s summer fair. Nowadays, you’ll find her crafting new designs with semi-precious gemstones, freshwater pearls and delicate gold findings at her kitchen table in London.

All jewellery crafted by the designer is made using high-quality materials that have been carefully selected to create unique and distinctive pieces for her clients across the globe.

It sounds like jewellery runs in your family. Can you tell us more?
In 1938, my great grandfather, Max Levin, took over the ownership of a jewelry & gift store from the Malloves family in Middletown, Connecticut. Following his sudden passing, Max’s son (my grandfather), Buzzy Levin, began helping out at the store, eventually taking it over from his Mom & Uncle in 1957. My grandfather ran the store until 1992, at which point he handed over the keys to his son (my uncle), Marc Levin, who continues to operate Malloves today. In 2018, the store celebrated its 90th year of business.

Where are you from originally?
I grew up in Branford, Connecticut - a beautiful coastal town on the east coast of the United States.

How did you end up in London?
I came here in the Fall of 2011 to study at the London School of Economics. The following summer, I managed to find an internship in the City, which eventually led to a full-time job offer upon completion of my University degree. Nearly 6 years later, I’m still here!

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not making jewellery?
Anything related to food, whether it be eating, cooking or shopping at the local Farmer’s Market. I also enjoy reading but struggle to make time for it. Learning Italian is high on the list of skills I’d love to master - I’m incredibly envious of people who can speak more than one language.