how do you find jewellery brands before they blow up?

i've gotten way more into hunting for tiny brands this past year and most "best jewellery brands" lists are useless so figured i'd share what actually works for me

stockist pages are underrated. if a boutique carries one small brand they usually carry like five more you've never seen. that's how i found Jessie Thomas, she's a goldsmith in london who learned from her dad and still handmakes everything in the same workshop. 18ct gold with antique diamonds, has this soft vintage feel without being costume-y

also searching instagram locations instead of hashtags. i searched barcelona jewellery studios once and stumbled on Dalinda, two women making everything to order from a tiny workshop there. the gold has this raw unpolished texture i hadn't really seen before and every piece is named after something from nature. pretty sure it's their first collection so they're actually brand new

and then just browsing smaller retailers like Couverture & The Garbstore or Finematter instead of the found Simuero that way, usual places. found Simuero that way, a couple in Valencia doing rings and earrings inspired by marine forms from recycled metals. more accessible price wise but the designs feel like actual art pieces

honestly the common thread with stuff i end up loving is you can tell one or two real people are behind it and the about page reads like a human wrote it not a marketing team

what are your methods? drop your finds i'm always looking