Fabulous jewellery for ordinary people

12:15pm Tuesday 4th March 2008

As a former butler, Geoffrey Thompson made sure his rich employers always looked a million dollars.

Now he hopes to help ordinary people feel just as fabulous with his new business selling affordable, handmade jewellery.

The 55-year-old was studying hotel management at college in the 1970s when the opportunity came up to work as a butler in New York.

He said: "I was an unusual butler in that I did a bit of everything from gardening and interior design to costume making. When they realised I was a guy of many talents, they used them."

Mr Thompson has always been creative - he made a full-size wedding cake at 13 - and realised his talents would be better served if he quit as a butler.

The self-taught jewellery maker opened his studio, Gef Tom Son, at E a s t b o u r n e Enterprise Centre a few weeks ago and has been delighted by the start it has made.

He said: "It's an outrageous little shop and I've got women queueing up outside all day. I'm completely self taught. The stones speak to me. I lay them all out on a table and they tell me which ones will go together."

Although his earrings and bracelets sell for as little as £10, he is keen to point out they are a million miles from the cheap, chunky gold sold at chain stores.

He said: "Every piece is made by hand. They ooze quality."

Mr Thompson believes his experience as a butler has been great for running a business where every customer needs to be treated like royalty.

He said: "As a butler you learn good manners which everyone should have. It's like a really good finishing school."

He has ambitions to open more studios across Sussex and said: "It's a little gold mine I've got here."

For more information, call 01323 412342. Anyone mentioning The Argus can have a ten per cent discount.

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