Welcome to Botanica

Claire, founder of Botanica, manufacturing in the studio

Claire manufacturing the Botanica studio

Botanica was founded by me, Claire, in 2017 after completing a four year degree at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology where I had the honour of being taught by some of Cape Town's most respected goldsmiths.

My love for jewellery started as a child when I would watch my grandmother getting ready in the mornings. She would carefully select each piece of jewellery she was going to wear that day and she would tell me why she was selecting those particular pieces and the reasons they were special to her. Later in life I inherited many of those pieces and they continue to connect me to her. I wear her simple rose gold wedding band every single day. I realised this is the true value of jewellery; the stories they hold and memories made while they are worn. I set out to build a company that consciously created special pieces to celebrate life's precious moments and would form part of our stories. This is still something I think about every time I design a piece.

Drawing inspiration from the beautiful fauna and flora found in the Western Cape, my home province here in South Africa, we create classic, distinctive and considered pieces of hand crafted jewellery with our signature botanical twist. Each piece is crafted locally here in Cape Town allowing each process, from sourcing to manufacturing, to be given careful attention. We combine the time honoured techniques of hand engraving, hand carving and traditional manufacturing practices with modern methods to create sterling silver and gold lifestyle pieces as well as engagement rings, wedding bands and special commissions. Every piece is created with passion in the hope you will love wearing it as much as we loved making it, and that they will be treasured and passed down just as the pieces that sparked Botanica's journey were passed down to me.

I look forward to including you on this journey. If you have any questions while browsing, please reach out here.