Catherine Jones passes away, aged 95

Born on 16 October 1916 in India, Catherine had been involved in the jewellery industry for nearly 50 years, after starting her business in 1964. With the launch of its online store, Catherine Jones Jewellery achieved a worldwide customer base beyond Cambridge, extending to Australia, Hong Kong, Tokyo, the USA, Norway, Switzerland and France.

Mathew Burkitt, Catherine’s grandson and finance director of the business, said: “We have learned that her life touched many thousands of people. She will be sorely missed, but her legacy continues through her creation, Catherine Jones Jewellery, and through the Catherine Jones Foundation, which builds schools in her native India.”

Catherine’s funeral took place on Tuesday 3 January 2012, where her family were joined by friends and jewellery makers whom she had worked with over the years. Anne Plenderleith said: “The loss of such an amazing person is heartbreaking. She will be remembered always by everyone she came in contact with through her long life with love and many happy memories of her kindness and humour and incredible taste.”