Mark Walker Creative Director of www.icecool.co.uk and a leading diamondtiere is available to discus

Creative Director of www.icecool.co.uk, Mark Walker has 22 years experience of product design, trend forecasting, technical consultancy and brand innovation with international jewellery manufacturers, retailers and luxury brands.

After joining www.icecool.co.uk in 2002, Mark said that he was 'So excited and inspired to be innovating in the dramatically changing environment of luxury and the internet. Icecool is pioneering new ideas now and will continue to grow, expand and challenge the future and the way that diamond jewellery is presented and sold on the internet'.

Five years on, and several accolades later, Icecool.co.uk recently became the first online diamond jewellery company to join the Council for Responsible Jewellery Practices (CRJP, ‘the Council’). This new development assures Icecool.co.uk’s customers that Icecool diamonds are ‘Conflict-Free’; an entirely unique product of nature not enhanced or
treated in any way.

Mark speaks of this new development, 'We are honoured and delighted to become the UK’s first online diamond jewellery store to be awarded this extremely prestigious and worthy membership. We will always uphold the ethos of the Council'. He is also responsible for the newly launched ‘You Dream We Create’ Bespoke service. Take a look at Mark introducing this service: http://www.icecool.co.uk/you_dream_we_create.asp

Mark Walker is a true diamantaire; he has now been in the diamond jewellery business for two decades and has a wonderful reputation as a jewellery designer. He has designed and produced diamond rings for celebrities and ‘real’ people alike and his annual diamond jewellery trends are generally revered worldwide.

Mark's Design History

In 1982 Mark graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (first class honours) in Jewellery and Silversmithing. Then, while still at college, and after winning two national jewellery design awards, he set off on an exhilarating one year scholarship to India – a journey that would immensely inspire and also change his life route forever.

Initially Mark designed new product collections for some of the fledgling diamond jewellery exporters but finally ended up, guided by the hand of fate, designing and overseeing production of one of the most exotic and expensive jewels in the world - a crown for the idol at the pre-eminent Indian Hindu temple, Tirupati.

Mark reminisces, 'It was the equivalent of an architect winning the commission to design and build a cathedral. Wow what a challenge! With 25,000 carats of D, flawless diamonds and 20,000 grams of 22 karat gold, sprinkled with 50 carats of emeralds and rubies, it was more than magical'. Before undertaking the commission Mark had to be blessed with Holy Water by the High Priests of Tirupati while dressed in an embroidered cloak previously worn by Mahatma Gandhi and Indira Gandhi.

Mark enthuses, 'I wanted to use inherent Indian forms in the crown, particularly the ogee curve which symbolises harmony and peace'.

Following this in 1983 Mark was Design Manager, responsible for product, visual merchandising and exhibitions at Dust Jewellery, a leading UK manufacturer of titanium, silver and gold jewellery. Dust Jewellery was the first company in Europe to produce and market anodised titanium jewellery globally.

1986 through to 1999, Mark established the world’s first specialist jewellery consultancy, Grant Walker, offering complete design, technical and marketing resolutions, including –

• Developed numerous branded ranges for leading international names, including Dunhill, Wedgwood, Walt Disney and Timex.
• Project coordinator for the European World Gold Council jewellery trend books.
• Designer and coordinator of the ‘Diamond Design Portfolio’ for De Beers.
• Wrote and devised training manuals on jewellery design and production techniques.
• Management consultant on government jewellery industry development projects in Sri Lanka, Philippines and India.
• Extensive marketing trips to Europe, Far East, Middle East, Japan, Brazil & USA.
• Wrote industry articles for leading international jewellery magazines.
• Lectured worldwide on jewellery design trends and fashion forecasting.
• Created special objects d’art commissions, including a jewelled table, an embellished sword, a fountain timepiece and a coat of arms for a luxury yacht.
• Established and coordinated the first International Indian Jewellery Design Competition.
• Completed training on Quality Assurance ISO 2001.
Mark says 'Grant Walker gave me the immense opportunity and challenge to work on a very wide variety of luxury projects. A foundation which I very much appreciate'.

1999 through to 2002, Mark joined Buckley Jewellery as Executive Director of Product. Buckley Jewellery is one of the largest jewellery manufacturers / wholesalers in Europe, producing approximately 3 million units per year. He was responsible for total product solutions, including –

• Representing product and marketing issues on the Executive Board
• Developing and launching all new branded ranges to the international markets.
• Managing all design, mastermaking and production issues.
• Packaging, point of sale and exhibition stands.
• Key customer presentations.

Icecool is owned and managed by the London Diamond Jewellery Company, the jewellery division of Goldie International, leading diamond brokers.

To view the new Icecool site with the complete 2010 Collection log on to www.icecool.co.uk

A free mail order book is also available via the website or by calling 0207 831 7648.

Call the experts - To speak to a diamond expert call 020 7831 7648, 9am - 5pm, Monday - Friday.