Welcome to Porsha Bella

Thank you for visiting my website. My name is Sarah-Jane, and I’m a one woman business (with a little help from my two dogs!). I design, create, and source all materials myself, drawing on over 20 years of experience as a fully qualified gold and silversmith.

I’ve always had a passion for antiques and, more recently, vintage treasures. That love led me to transform pieces of the past into keepsakes for the future.

In 2010, while motor homing through Europe with my husband, an antique store just outside Lyon caught my eye. Inside, I discovered a rusty tin of buttons tied together with string. When I held them, I felt an unexplainable connection, not unsettling, just profound. Six of those buttons were from a Great Grandfather’s WWI military coat, carefully saved by his family. The stories behind the other buttons fascinated me, and I knew I had to bring them into the world as jewellery to be treasured.

My jewellery workshop

In 2014, my husband and I moved from Australia to the French Alps, purchasing a stone farmhouse with an outbuilding that was the original village bread oven, built in 1796. After extensive renovation, it became my workshop. Living in France allows me to source extraordinary French antique buttons year round. The Lyon antique store remains a key source, and its owner, a historian, ensures I know the history and authenticity of each piece.

 

Since moving to France, I’ve also been privileged to meet a fashion historian and also a Parisian collector who inherited her mother’s extensive vintage designer button collection. Her mother, a head seamstress for some of the world’s most famous fashion houses, meticulously recorded each button’s age and origin. These buttons, combined with my goldsmith expertise, allow me to create unique, handcrafted jewellery that celebrates history, style, and craftsmanship.

I hope my creations inspire you as much as these buttons have inspired me. Explore the collections to discover your own piece of French history, or contact me to discuss a custom creation.

Sarah-Jane

CEO, Founder & Goldsmith