In a world driven by fleeting trends and fast fashion, jewellery remains one of the few avenues where we can physically anchor our memories. It is this exact intersection of sentiment, artistry, and daily life that defines Boulo.
Characterised by its signature amorphous, fluid silhouettes, Boulo rejects rigid geometry in favour of organic forms that mirror the beautiful complexities of life. These are not precious objects meant to be locked away for special occasions; they are crafted to be lived in, designed to soften against the skin, and destined to become future heirlooms.
Behind the brand is a vision deeply rooted in heritage, inspired by the bold legacy of modern female artists, and fueled by the artistic freedom of London life.
The Plum Edit sat down with the visionary mind behind Boulo, Begum Tiryaki Uyulur to discuss childhood boxes of curiosities, the intimate journey of bespoke design, and why true luxury lies in the feelings an object leaves behind.
Let’s get into it.
Tell us about your journey, how were you drawn to jewellery?
It’s hard to say exactly what led me to jewellery specifically, but I often think back to my childhood. My mother, my aunt, and I used to visit their jeweller, and I still remember the conversations, whether they wanted to turn a necklace into a bracelet, change the stones, upgrade a piece, or sell something they already had.
Those visits felt especially exciting to me as a child. I remember my mother opening her case and it feeling like a box of curiosities; I would play with everything inside. Earrings and necklaces, especially, felt different from other grown-up things. With clothes or shoes, you immediately feel from the fit that you are wearing something that belongs to an adult. But with jewellery, it was different. If you clipped on your mother’s earrings, there was no real sense of too big or too small, the design was what spoke. She had a choker that, on me, became a long necklace.
Every time we went to the jeweller, there were always a few pieces that caught my eye. As someone naturally drawn to distinctive design, I think I must have wanted, even then, to create that same feeling for others. That feeling when you cannot fully explain why something stays with you, only that it does. In the end, it is never only about the object, it is about the feeling it leaves with you.
When making a new piece, what does your process look like?
I create small collections, or what I prefer to call studies, as well as bespoke pieces. The process is quite different for each. While designing a collection, I never set myself a strict number within each category; the feeling comes, and I start designing. Sometimes something satisfying comes together in a day, and sometimes it takes months.If I feel that certain ideas are beginning to make sense together, they move into the sample-making stage, which can take months depending on how complex the design is. For existing designs, the finished piece usually takes around six weeks.
The bespoke process is very different from designing a study, because you are in touch with the client before they ever see the final piece. That is probably the most exciting part for me, because it almost feels as though you are building a friendship as well. They are not only telling you what they want to create, but also why, and that reason is almost always very personal. Whether it is for a special occasion or not, the purpose and the story behind it always feel special. Finding the BOULO way to make it distinctive, while also making it deeply meaningful for the client, is an amazing responsibility.
The process usually starts with a conversation and the sharing of details. I then move into the design stage, where I try to reflect the essence of how the piece will look and why. If the client feels happy with that direction, I continue with more detailed sketches and development. Ideally, they receive the piece by hand from me, which is something I always love to do.
How do you find inspiration?
I often find myself sketching the most satisfying designs when I can find room for my
Feelings, when I am in nature, in the air, travelling, or dreaming. Inspiration is not only essential to my design process, but also to the way I run the business. Art, reading and watching inspiring stories, watching movies, speaking with people I admire, and staying active all help me greatly. I live very close to Tate Modern and go there often.
One of the many artists I look up to is Fahrelnissa Zeid. Beyond being one of the first modern female painters in Turkey, she also became a political figure at one point in her life. That balance between two very dissimilar yet somehow complementary sides of herself is inspiring in itself. She faced many challenges in life and turned to art as a way of coping with them.
I believe we all need some way of expressing our inner life in order to move through life.
For me, BOULO is how I do that. It is my form of art.
What does heritage mean to you?
Heritage feels like part of the code of your identity, a sense of belonging that continues to shape how you see and create today. A great part of it, for me, holds the values I was brought up with. None of the older members of my family ever do things simply for the sake of doing them. They put their best into everything, whether it is cooking, making a product, or the way they conduct business. They have always been deeply respected by the people around them, to the point that “Enduring wealth is reputation” became something of a family motto. I think my respect for people, for work, and for craftsmanship comes directly from that way of thinking. It is also why I find it difficult not to go the extra mile in pursuit of making something feel exactly right.
In more tangible terms, one of the most meaningful objects in my life is a ring my mother gave me years ago, the ring my father proposed to her with. It has a flower-like shape, unlike anything I had seen before, especially for an engagement ring. I want to turn it into a small study of its own sometime soon.
Your collection is characterised by your use of amorphous designs. What draws you to these fluid, non-linear shapes over more traditional, geometric jewellery structures?
To me, nothing in life or nature is ever truly linear or black and white; everything moves through contrasts, ups and downs, turns, and moments of tension and release. That balance is what makes things feel alive.
I think that way of seeing naturally finds its place in my designs, often allowing the line to guide me rather than forcing it too quickly into resolution. That process feels very close to life itself.
Your lookbook mentions creating pieces that feel familiar yet intentional. How do you design a new object so that it carries an immediate sense of belonging for the wearer?
I am always drawn to shapes and objects that feel as though they belong where they sit, or when they have a purpose. I think when something is slightly softened, slightly unexpected, people often connect with it more instinctively. It feels open enough to become theirs, at least, I hope so.
I design with that in mind. I want a piece to feel distinctive, but never distant. There should be something in it that the wearer understands immediately, even if they cannot explain why. Sometimes it is a curve, sometimes the balance of weight, sometimes the way the piece sits against the body. Those small decisions create familiarity.
One of the first designs I created was the Shapeless ring, which went on to become BOULO’s most loved piece. From the moment I first wore it, it felt like a part of me. Everything that came after seemed to make more sense through it, and in many ways it became the starting point for the study.
Given the focus on metal and stone shaped by hand for generations, how do you choose your raw materials to ensure they meet the standard of both everyday wear and future heirloom?
For me, choosing materials and designing the finish are never only about how something looks on the day a piece is made. It is also about how it will live with someone over time. I want a piece to feel beautiful immediately, but also to age well and keep its character. It needs to be both aesthetically pleasing and practical enough to become part of your life.
A material has to have presence, but it also has to have resilience. That is why I work with fine materials that can hold both daily wear and longevity. I like working with 14 karat gold with silver in its alloy, both for aesthetic and physical reasons. I also pay close attention to the character and physical properties of the stones, how they interact with the design, and the techniques we will use for that particular piece. I am also in the process of developing a bespoke recipe for 18 karat gold pieces, to make each design even more unique.
There is often a divide between fine jewellery and everyday wear. Why
was it important for Boulo to position these pieces as items to be worn daily
rather than saved for special occasions?
Special occasions have their own beauty, of course, but it is the everyday rhythm that reveals who you truly are. That idea of true self is white excites me a lot, maybe because of the possibilities and opportunities it holds. When a piece is worn in those moments, it feels more authentic, more closely tied to the person wearing it. That said, I also love designing for special occasions for my bespoke clients, where jewellery becomes tied to a single moment and carries its memory long after.
While the soul of the craft is in Istanbul, the design happens in London. How
does the pace and landscape of London life filter into the final aesthetic of
the pieces?
I have to say that, in many ways, everything came together and truly began in London. It is a special city to me, because it gave me the space to evolve both creatively and freely. There is something about London’s art and fashion scene that constantly makes me feel that anything is possible. Even that feeling alone gives you courage, to try things, to dare more, to become more fully yourself.
So, while BOULO carries many layers of memory, heritage, and personal history, the creation process itself has been deeply shaped by London. It is where passion started to take form with more confidence, where I started to understand myself better, where I felt encouraged to trust my instincts, and where I began to understand my own visual language more clearly.
In that sense, I can say that BOULO may hold different worlds within it, but its creative becoming was very much inspired by, and shaped in, London.
When a piece of Boulo jewellery is carried forward 50 years from now, what story do you hope it tells about the person who wore it and the era it was created in?
What an amazing thing to think about! I would love it to say that the person who wore it chose objects with feeling, not just decoration. Also, a person who doesn’t compromise on aesthetic when choosing comfort. They were drawn to something subtle but distinctive, something with character that became part of their life. I hope it carries traces of that intimacy, that it feels lived with, personal, almost inseparable from the person who wore it. Something they can’t wait to pass down to their loved ones.
And about the era it came from, I hope it speaks of a moment when people were looking for permanence again. Not in a heavy or traditional sense, but in a more personal one, a desire for things made with care. I would want it to reflect that balance between modernity and memory.
When a BOULO piece is carried forward in 50 years, I hope it tells a story of attachment, of a life fully lived in it, and of an era that still believed in keeping beautiful things close with care.
Through a brilliant harmony of contrasts, where the daring, modern spirit of London design meets the patient, generational craftsmanship of Istanbul, Boulo achieves something rare. The fluid, amorphous silhouettes do not force a resolution; instead, they remain open, waiting to be shaped by the life, the rhythm, and the memories of the wearer. Fifty years from now, these pieces will carry more than just the shine of gold and stone. They will stand as a testament to an era that still believed in keeping beautiful things close, telling an enduring story of a life fully and authentically lived.
Image credit: Boulo
