Desiderate

Australian silver jewellery that’s a little bit boho, a little bit bling

We believe you’ve worked hard your whole life, and now you can have whatever you like. We make Australian silver jewellery for women who know what they like and want to enjoy treating themselves.

Our beginnings, with our founder Janine Leghissa

Desiderate was born when I found myself with a chronic incurable illness and I had to find a way to support my family. 

After being diagnosed with Lupus SLE, my health went downhill and I couldn't work. I lost my eyesight, my hair and so much more, but this is about how I turned it around.

Before becoming so unwell, I owned and lived in my dream home. I had worked so hard to achieve this and yet it all came tumbling down.

I was left with no home or income, and I needed cash—fast. I did anything I could think of, which included selling my jewellery collection to cover my rising bills. 

I knew I had to rebuild my life into something I wanted to live and with my health what I could do was restricted, and I'd lost my home, my career and my health. I was really desperate to survive

I had no idea of starting a jewellery business, I was only worried about providing for my children and building a new life.

But as the jewellery began to sell on my Facebook page, I realised my love of gems also presented an opportunity. Word spread and people began coming to me, asking for particular styles and pieces.

I fell back on my background in colour and design. Previously I was an award-winning artist and had a career in senior management in with international hairdressing companies specialising in colour and design.

I began sourcing stones and commissioning jewellers to produce pieces to my specifications. My own struggles showed me that finding Australian silver jewellery can be difficult. I knew what I liked, and didn’t fancy all the trends. I also wanted quality, with pieces that would last decades without staining, fading or breaking.

Desiderate was born in 2017 and since then, I’ve grown the business to employ a team and support overseas silversmiths and artists (many of them female) with commissions of unique pieces. I’ve built our website and taught myself how to run a successful ecommerce business. 

I’m beyond grateful for the support of my valued customers. Desiderate is my phoenix rising from the ashes. I didn’t know then that it would be the catalyst to living a more complete life, one that I could only dream of years ago. 

We give back to the community by supporting Lupus NSW

A portion of our proceeds is donated to Lupus NSW to raise funds for lupus education, treatment and support. It makes us incredibly proud to be able to support this very worthy cause.

In everything we do, we celebrate women

You know what you like and you expect quality, but not at outrageous prices. 

Now’s the time to treat yourself. You have precious memories, and often your jewellery is a memento of those times. 

You love a sparkly treat that shows your style and personality. 

We see you, we hear you, we know you and we create jewellery with you in mind.

 Meet the Desiderate team

What Desiderate means and how to pronounce it

Desiderate means ‘to feel a keen desire’. 

For us, it means the feeling you get when you see a cute piece of jewellery and you really want it! 

Some customers aren’t sure how to pronounce our name. 

Phonetically, it’s DEE— ZID — ER— ET. 

Quality jewellery

Every piece is made to the highest standards from top-quality materials and stones. 

Affordable prices

We strive to keep prices competitive and affordable while maintaining excellent quality.

Limited editions

We source limited runs from our artisanal silversmiths from around the world.

Australian owned

We’re 100% Australian-owned and a local, family-operated small business.

Fast dispatch.

Janine assumes her customers are as impatient as she is, so we dispatch your order fast.

 We’re boutique, not mass market

Our pieces are created internationally, gathering together jewellers, gem dealers and silversmiths to create unique, limited-run exclusive pieces. 

Manufacturing using a myriad of artists and suppliers isn’t an overnight process, so when products sell out, it takes time to produce the next batch. 

When you buy from Desiderate, you can be confident that you’ll get a limited-edition piece, made from quality stones and metals that you can enjoy for decades to come.