Francesca Villa’s jewelry has long been celebrated for its ability to blend intricate craftsmanship with personal storytelling. Her latest venture, the pet portrait collection, continues this tradition in a truly unique way. Inspired by her early “Being Crystal” collection, which featured vintage Essex crystal designs of animals, Francesca saw a growing demand for custom pet portraits. Now, she offers clients the chance to immortalize their beloved pets in beautifully crafted, personalized jewelry pieces, creating timeless heirlooms that celebrate the joy and companionship pets bring to our lives. In this interview, Francesca shares the inspiration behind the collection, her creative process, and how she continues to weave personal stories into each design.

What inspired you to create a pet portrait collection, and how does it connect to your overall jewelry aesthetic? 

One of my best known early collections was called Being Crystal featuring vintage Essex crystal - some of which featured dogs. Clients began reaching out to see if they could commission portraits of their own dogs in the same styles. I then thought to develop a collection of custom styles to offer to clients. 

Can you walk us through the process of transforming a beloved pet’s image into a piece of jewelry? What are the artistic and technical steps involved? 

First I discuss with the client their preferred portrait of their pet and how they would like them pictured, and we discuss together the custom styles that would suit them.  I then create a drawing with my team which shows their portrait, and the gemstone and enamel colours we have discussed.  Once confirmed, my crystal carvers set about creating the crystal - carving and pairing the portrait of the pet. Simultaneously we cast the ring. When all is complete we set the finished crystal in the ring. 

Your work is known for blending storytelling with design. How does the pet portrait collection continue this narrative, and what emotions or stories are you hoping to evoke?

My work values memory and storytelling. My Being Furry collection allows clients to create beautiful jewels that treasure the joy their beloved furry friends bring them. 

Jewelry often holds sentimental value for the wearer. How do you think the personalized element of pet portraits deepens this connection for your clients? 

For many people their pets hold an important place in their family, bringing daily joy to their lives. These jewels allow them to treasure that joy in an heirloom piece.  

Are there any memorable or unique pet portrait commissions that have stood out to you during the creation of this collection? 

All of the clients that I have worked with to create these pieces have been wonderful, and have shared with me the joy they find in their furry friends. There was one client of our lovely retail partner Boboli who we created two rings for to celebrate her two beautiful dogs. Each ring had a different shape and details so they could be worn together or separately, so she could keep her treasured furries close to her.

How do you balance your signature style as a jeweler with the distinct personality of each pet when designing these custom pieces? 

The custom styles are very much in line with with my design aesthetic. These are then adapted to the client with gemstones and enamel colours to suit them and their style.  

As a designer, what excites you most about creating such highly personal, custom pieces like the pet portrait collection? 

For many of my clients these are pieces they love and wear everyday. A truly chic way to treasure a pet.