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One of Greenwich Market’s longest-established designer-makers, Antonio De Mendoza of DeMEC Jewellers has been selling his unique pieces here since 2002. In fact, he thinks he may well be the oldest surviving trader of any type still here. A former lawyer who learned to make jewellery with his brother in the United States, he shut the book on law when he arrived in the UK and threw himself into the life of a full-time creative.
Antonio has always had a strong creative drive, and always knew it would find an outlet. It would simply depend on the environment: ‘If I arrived in Italy, I might have been a fashion designer. If I lived in France, maybe being a winemaker would be cool.’ He’s certain that we are all creative, and that time and effort are all that’s needed to find our particular outlet. Loving jewellery, Antonio honed his craft, moved to London and made it his life.
Getting a stall at Greenwich Market (the only one of 12 London markets Antonio felt concentrated on designer-makers) wasn’t straightforward. He applied in 2002, only for management to say they already had too many jewellers. But Antonio, ponytailed back then, bore an uncanny resemblance to a Premier League footballer. The manager, a rabid football fan, decided to give this ‘former football player’ a break. ‘I’ve never played football in my life!’ laughs Antonio. ‘But he confused me with some Italian player, and I got the stall!’
Antonio had a name (DeMEC is short for his full surname, ‘De Mendoza Cuéllar’); all he needed was for word of his unique creations to get out. All his jewellery is handmade, using gemstones and distinctive materials like ‘vegetable ivory’. This unique stuff, named for its uncanny resemblance to actual ivory, is made from the nuts of palm trees known as ‘elephant plants’. The palms grow abundantly in Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador and Antonio’s own birthplace, Colombia. Also known as tagua nut, it’s a beautiful, hard and durable material that can be worked in many different ways. Crucially, vegetable ivory production also supports the reforestation of the Amazon!
Antonio, who has traded in 15 different markets across London in his time, naturally also works with more conventional materials: gold, silver, rubies, sapphires and diamonds. His popular ‘constellation ring’, for example, blends diamonds, silver and vegetable ivory in a creation of great elegance. Most of his designs are fanciful, imaginative and unmistakably his, but he also produces wedding bands and more conventional pieces by commission.
Seeking an alternative to online giants like Etsy, Antonio has also established an online craft marketplace, Luxecellence. Alongside DeMEC Jewellery (naturally), Luxellence sells the craft, jewellery and clothing of other creatives. Antonio makes a point of only working with designer-makers with whom he has a personal relationship, and whose work he respects. Keeping the business sincere, friendly and on a human scale is all important to him.
Unlike so many traders, Antonio experienced an immediate recovery from the pandemic. Rebounding from the privations of lockdown, online shopping and remote socialising, his customers came flocking immediately back. Not only did DeMEC recover, 2022 was Antonio’s best year ever! He’s clearly doing something right, as devoted repeat customers keep coming, and curious tourists can’t seem to get enough of his exquisite, handmade jewellery and the unique qualities of vegetable ivory.