Meet the neighbours: Sam Ubhi – Jewellery & watches shop
- Chuk Agudosi
- Mar 12
- 3 min read
First of can I say this place is gorgeous. How did it start?
Quite by accident actually. I was in Balham for 12 years and used to do tapestries. I had an agent in beads. I couldn’t find any jewellery that I liked, but I’d make my own as I had some beads left. I went to New York and I had a woman tap me on the shoulder and said “oh my god, I I love your earrings” I said I made them, she happened to be a buyer for Barneys. I then got this order, and my mum and I would literally sit at the table and make earrings. They would sell out, I’d get more orders. I thought this is easy, and that’s how the jewellery began.
“Way In” in Harrods’ had just opened and it was cool, funky place to be. My first clients were the big boys, Harvey Nichols, Selfridges, Harrods, and here I am now.
You were in Tooting originally?
Yeah I grew up on Northcote Road and the business started in Tooting, it will be 39 years this year.
Would do you love about being part of The Balham/Tooting community?
As my career has moved on you do think do I want to move out of the area, but I’ve always stayed local, which I’ve loved. That’s been the core and our ethos, I have customers who I love and have become good friends. Cathy who’s 92, comes in 2 or 3 times a week, will sit and spend a couple of hours with me
I do feel that vibe, it’s so relaxed.
My customers go back 30 years and they are all local. Community, loyalty I love. I could be in Notting Hill but you don’t need to go to the West End to buy anything.
What one or 2 things do you wish people knew about you here?
Loads, we actually make the jewellery here and that’s a big thing. We have a workshop downstairs. The beauty of what we do, is people can say “Sam I like this necklace but I’d like it longer, shorter.” We can do all that. It’s pretty quick as we have a team and they are incredible.
We do a lot of work with TV and stylists. We’ve worked with Kylie Minogue, her record company asked us to make her necklace for her 50th birthday present. We’ve worked for all fashion weeks, London, Paris, Milan. We exhibit around the world.
We do costume jewellery, we have diamonds and the fine stuff.
What is your favourite piece?
It’s really hard to say. My ethos is there’s nothing in the shop that I wouldn’t wear myself. The bags we have are Lana bags, have been incredible. The jewellery at the minute the Cougar collection, we have been doing for 30 years.
Do you have any plans?
We have loads, I just thinking what I can tell you. We are doing a big collection of homeware that’s is exclusive to us.its jewels for the home as your space should be as equally as lovely as jewellery that you are wearing.
Jewels for the home, love that. So many lovely pieces, guys please go check it out.
Sam Ubhi – 7 Bedford Hill, SW12 9ET
Follow on Instagram @samubhijewellery
Visit the website samubhi
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