A Question of Degree: Charlotte Leigh

Charlotte Leigh

The jeweller didn’t follow the traditional path. Instead, she built two thriving businesses, raised a young family, and revolutionised the bespoke jewellery experience—proving that success isn’t about ticking boxes.

I’m the only one in my family who didn’t go to university—and that turned out to be my superpower.

I actually started a degree in dance, drama and art at the University of Birmingham in 2001, but I quickly realised it wasn’t for me. I’ve always been creative and curious, but sitting through lectures on the theory of Russian ballet didn’t quite hit the spot. I left, and for a while, I felt like the family failure. Everyone else was racking up degrees, and I felt like the one who hadn’t made the cut.

Now, I see things differently. I strongly suspect I’m neurodivergent—ADHD, autism, or maybe both—but I’ve never chased a diagnosis. Instead, I’ve learned to understand myself and create success in a way that works for me, not despite me. And honestly, that freedom to build outside the system has been my greatest asset.

At 21, I launched my first business—a property inventory company—from my mum’s spare room. She’d just left a coercively controlled marriage and had no means, so together we built something from scratch. No experience. No qualifications. Just grit, late nights, and a whole lot of trial and error.

Within two years, we’d secured investment, moved into offices, hired staff, and added additional property services like PAT tests and EPCs. We landed clients like Berkeley Homes, JLL, Savills, and The Crown Estate—many of whom still work with us today. And just to keep things interesting, I also survived a brain haemorrhage in the middle of it all.

The business taught me everything you don’t learn in a lecture hall—how to make decisions when you don’t feel ready, the importance of customer service (which we won awards for), how to problem-solve, and how to take a punch and keep moving. But after several years of growth and success, something still wasn’t sitting right: I was missing a creative outlet.

Then came my engagement ring.

I had what should have been a joyful experience—but instead, it was frustrating and impersonal. I was oversold a diamond that didn’t suit my needs, ended up with a design I loathed, and was left with a ring I was too embarrassed to show off. And I realised my friends were having the same experience: “It’s nice… but I don’t love it.” How had something so meaningful become so transactional?

That was my lightbulb moment.

Despite having no experience in the industry, I decided to reimagine the fine jewellery experience from the ground up. I got my GIA diamond qualifications, trained with Melanie Eddy at The Goldsmiths’ Centre, and worked (unpaid!) in workshops just to observe the goldsmiths at work and understand how jewellery is actually made.

One moment with Melanie will stay with me forever. I asked her, “Am I mad for thinking I can do this?” She looked at me and said, “Charlotte, you’re already doing it.” That gave me the confidence I needed—but there was more. I told her how I approached my designs by first working out the profitability and then designing the piece backwards from there. She paused and said, “I’ve never heard a designer work that way before.” Most get swept up in creativity and then realise later that the design isn’t commercially viable. But I was doing it the other way round—balancing creativity with business instinct from day one.

While building industry connections, I was still running the property business and raising two small children at home. It was intense. But every free moment, every nap time or evening, I poured into refining my design process.

I started by working with family and friends, asking for their unworn or inherited pieces—the ones sitting in jewellery boxes, untouched but too sentimental to part with. I remodelled them, tested my CAD and 3D-printing workflow, and perfected the client journey. I designed pieces that could be seen, touched, and tried on in model form before they were made. Everyone was blown away. The response was clear: I was onto something special.

So I launched.

Today, my jewellery business is thriving. I work with high-profile individuals, celebrities, and collectors. I source the best-value diamonds for every budget—including rare fancy coloured stones and investment-grade options. I specialise in remodelling heirlooms into showstoppers and creating bespoke pieces that are as meaningful as they are beautiful.

My clients get a truly immersive experience, and they work directly with me—not a junior designer. I bring together artistry, transparency, and cutting-edge technology, and I work exclusively with the finest workshops in the UK. My goldsmiths have won six Craft & Design Awards and are widely regarded as the best in the business.

I’ve been featured in national newspapers, magazines, and on television. But for me, the real reward is the look on a client’s face when they see their story told in precious metals and stones. When the work speaks to their heart.

Today, I’m still a director of the property business, but the day-to-day is handled brilliantly by my husband and mum—freeing me up to focus fully on jewellery design. And I’ve never felt more aligned with what I do.

The power of instinct and self-belief

Without any formal background, I’ve had to lean hard on soft skills—instinct, emotional intelligence, creativity, and resilience. I’ve learned to back myself even when others didn’t. And that ability to trust my gut is what’s allowed me to innovate where others followed tradition.

Redefining failure and success

I’ve been underestimated plenty of times. I’ve had moments of self-doubt, of feeling judged for not having a degree. But now I see those moments for what they were: fuel. Success, for me, is about freedom, purpose, and legacy—not just accolades.

Advice for others

To anyone feeling the pressure to follow a conventional path—especially young people—please know: there are many ways to succeed. University is brilliant for some. But the world also needs people who are brave enough to do things differently. Who listen to their gut. Who bet on themselves.

The full circle

In the end, being “unqualified” is what made me exceptional. I wasn’t boxed in by the way things had always been done. I built something better—two businesses, in fact—while raising a family and rewriting the rulebook.

No degree required.

Charlotte is a UK-based entrepreneur, diamond specialist, and bespoke fine jewellery designer. After launching a successful property business at just 21, she went on to disrupt the fine jewellery industry with her immersive, client-led design process. Her work has been featured in national newspapers, magazines, and on television. She works closely with high-net-worth individuals, celebrities, and collectors to create extraordinary one-of-a-kind pieces using a blend of traditional craftsmanship and cutting-edge technology.

charlotte@lottieleigh.com, www.lottieleigh.com, @lottieleighfinejewellery