Flying from Lagos to London for her first family vacation was an eye-opening experience for a young Thelma West—and not just because of the culture shock. “There were a lot of us bursting out of the plane,” she says of her parents and four siblings. “I always wondered how [my mother] did it!”
Though she returned to the U.K. to study engineering at 16, a lifelong fascination with the diamonds in her mom’s jewelry box led her to HRD Antwerp, a leading school for gem graders. After working internationally as a gemstone buyer, she moved to London for a job as a diamond grader in 2003. And in 2012, when a friend asked for help turning an old diamond into a new ring, she started her eponymous jewelry house. Its bespoke service and focus on gems of impressive size and quality have earned her global acclaim and a list of famous fans: Rihanna, Zendaya, Lil Nas X, and Angela Bassett have all worn her designs.
Together with her husband, Naples native and former Apple executive Stefano Liotta, West opened the doors to a boutique hotel, Casina Cinquepozzi, in Puglia this spring. The masterfully renovated property takes its name from the five wells on its 40-acre estate, which also produces its own wine and olive oil. In a sense, the project wasn’t that different from crafting her distinctive jewels. “I work a lot with old pieces where I have to take the best bits and give it new life,” she says. “When we discovered this place, the mission wasn’t to change it.” Here, she shares the other elements of her well-lived life that she wouldn’t alter.
What’s the first thing you do in the morning?
I step outside. In Puglia, it’s simple: I just go for a walk through the vineyard or the olive grove. I sort of get lost enjoying that silence. In London, we have a room called the nest. It opens up to the gardens, and I usually step out there for a few minutes, and that does good.
What have you done recently…