A group of aspiring Dundee jewellers will take part in the UK’s biggest jewellery trade show later this year after a month-long fundraising campaign saw them smash their target by almost 20%.
The nine designers, based at the award-winning Vanilla Ink Studios, will exhibit at International Jewellery London this September.
The show comes after raising £8,115 through the Kickstarter.com website far exceeding the initial target of £6,800 needed to pay for their space at the event.
Kickstarter is a website where people who make a pledge are offered something in return for their support.
Vanilla Ink put together an innovative range of handcrafted goods, including one-off and bespoke jewellery pieces for those who made pledges ranging from £1 to £700.
By the time the campaign came to an end, 242 pledges had been received from individuals, business and other organisations.
Vanilla Ink founder Kate Pickering, a graduate of Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design, said: “We were so humbled by the amount of support that was given.
“We didn’t expect to smash the target with a week to spare and the backers still kept rolling in.
“The local support has been amazing but we knew it would be, as Dundee is such a supportive community for creative industries.”