About Jo: The Full Story

Jo Boateng is a Ghanaian-British jewellery artist whose bold, graphic style bridges metalsmithing, beading, and silkscreen printing. Since entering the jewellery world in 2022, Jo has quickly earned recognition for her vibrant, handcrafted pieces, winning Best in Category at the GC&DC Awards and Best in Show at the Chroic Awards within her first two years.

 

After gaining commercial experience, Jo returned to her creative roots, supported by the De Beers Group Starter Scholarship and a Radcliffe Trust Bursary. Her work draws inspiration from everyday objects and her cultural heritage, blending techniques and disciplines to create jewellery that is both personal and visually striking.

 

In 2025, Jo deepened her practice through advanced training with master jewellers including Paul Ravn, Tameka Ravn, Philip Sajet, and Niall Paisley. She also undertook specialised studies in pearl stringing (Anja), coppersmithing (Adaesi Ukairo), and wax carving (Marcus Osbourne and Stelios Karantonas), with mentorship from Liz Olver. Her passion for Africa’s mineral resources was further ignited by completing De Beers’ Introduction to Diamonds and Diamond Foundation courses, leading her to create pieces that celebrate the continent’s natural materials.

 

Jo is committed to ethical, equitable, and environmentally responsible practices in the global jewellery industry. She was invited by Longo Mulaisho-Zinsner, Founder of the Jewellery and Gemstone Association of Africa (JGAA), to serve as a judge for the “It Is All in Our Hands” competition and will represent JGAA at the 2025 CIBJO Congress in Paris. Her work was also showcased at GemGenève as part of the JGAA delegation.

 

Jo’s jewellery has been exhibited at leading industry events and galleries including GemGenève, Goldsmiths’ Centre, Goldsmiths Hall, New Designers Select, Great Northern Contemporary Crafts Fair, Yorkshire Sculpture Park, and the London Docklands Museum. Her work has been featured in Forbes, The Jeweller, NAJ, Rapport, LUXUS PLUS, SNAG, and the Goldsmiths and De Beers Group Impact Reports, with coverage from writers such as Melanie Grant, Mazzi Odu, Kate Matthams, Belinda Morris, Bella Neyman, and Rachel Taylor.