Our latest cover star, Moon Jewellery, is one of Durham city’s best-loved independents – and a symbol of the reinvigoration of Silver Street since Covid.
Moon opened in Silver Street in 2015, and has always been a gorgeous shop, combining handmade jewellery from artisans and award-winning designers with striking pieces of home décor sourced from all over the world.
However, the departure of EE next door, at numbers 13-15, provided owner Jo with the chance to upgrade to bigger premises, with the new shop opening in April last year. And what a positive difference it immediately made to the street!
"Local jeweller @MoonJewellery, which upsized to the ex-EE store in April, has transformed the street’s lower stretch with its vibrant window displays".
Just look at that before and after, featured in today's @TheNorthernEcho! https://t.co/OuJxn9bpki@IndieDurhamCity #Durham pic.twitter.com/uzLh53PyRL
— Graham Soult FIPM (@soult) December 27, 2022
With its triple frontage, the new shop benefits from one of Silver Street’s biggest shop windows, and Jo always makes full use of that opportunity to showcase her most beautiful products and catch the eye of passersby.
Walk past on certain days and you will also catch a glimpse of one of Moon’s regular instore workshops in full swing, which the new bigger shop has made possible. Bookable online or instore, upcoming attractions include a jewellery-making afternoon tea experience, as well as special student sessions where you can learn to work with silver and make your own bangle or ring.
For many of Moon’s one-off – or heaviest and most fragile! – home décor pieces, there’s no option but to enjoy a visit to the shop in person, but the online store stocks a wide range of jewellery and ornaments – perfect if you’ve been visiting Durham as a tourist, and still want to get your Moon shopping fix after you’ve returned back home.
With Silver Street now home to a wide range of independent businesses old and new – including the relocated Durham Ginstitute, coffee and barber shop Coviello, restaurants Akarsu and Faru, and long-established favourites like Treats and Making Faces – this part of the city is clearly on the up again, with more new arrivals on the way and only a few vacant units still to be reoccupied.
It’s been a particular pleasure for us to support Jo as part of the Indie Durham City project, helping to spread the word about the new store, sharing our tips on everything from Twitter to websites, and even managing to get her an appearance on Look North!
Remember, marketing and mentoring support from CannyInsights.com is available to any independent business – old or new – within the City of Durham Parish, and it’s completely free of charge thanks to funding from the City of Durham Parish Council. So, do drop us a line if there’s anything you think we can help with – you could even be our next cover star!
Moon is active across social media, so be sure to give the business a follow on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date with all the latest news, events and new product announcements!
