Sofie Boons

Dr. Sofie Boons is a Senior Lecturer in Design Crafts at the School of Art, University of the West of England (UWE Bristol), actively reviewing Craft and Design skills embedding across the school while developing a new MA Designer/Maker course launching in September 2026. She also serves as educational consultant for the British Academy of Jewellery and hosts their monthly podcast.

Her educational background includes a BA (field unspecified), an MA in 'Goldsmithing, Silversmithing, Metalwork and Jewellery' from the Royal College of Art (awarded the Theo Fennell Overall Excellence Award), and a PhD from UWE Bristol titled 'Neo-gemstones®: An Alchemical Jeweller’s Exploration of Lab-grown Crystals and Related Technologies'.

Sofie's research centers on Jewellery Design and Material Innovation, specifically investigating lab-grown crystals' design implications through alchemical approaches and CAD/CAM integration. Her work challenges traditional terminology and practices in crystal-based jewellery, featured across BBC platforms including Radio 5 Live and World Service.

Her notable awards include:

• Theo Fennell Overall Excellence Award
• One to Watch by the Design Council
• DAAD Scholarship
• Mary Somerville-Lehrauftragsprogramms Scholarship

She maintains active research funding through UWE VC ECR and Bridge Funding grants, previously securing DAAD and Mary Somerville scholarships for her PhD. Her collaborative work includes the SIM Project with Frank Menger and Liz Hingley, developing workshops and exhibitions focused on material innovation.

Professional practice details are available at www.sofieboons.com and research at www.neo-gemstones.com.