A JEWELLERY designer from Quenington who became famous after the Duchess of Cambridge was spotted wearing a pair of her earrings has been named a ‘Cotswold rocker’.

Catherine Zoraida, 32, has been added to the Rock the Cotswolds campaign’s list of ‘rockers’ after the former Kate Middleton took a shine to her jewellery two years ago.

Her small self-titled firm, which has been running for less than four years, took off overnight after the Duchess was spotted wearing Catherine’s double leaf earrings, priced at £140.

The designer said suddenly people all over the world wanted to buy her jewellery.

Rock the Cotswolds, an initiative launched last summer to celebrate the coolest and most creative firms in the district, releases a new list of ‘rockers’ every month.

The brainchild of Cirencester businessman Oli Christie, Rock the Cotswolds sets out to champion the often stereotyped district and prove that it is not just rolling fields and tiny cottages.

Catherine, who is half Scottish and half Colombian, said she was amazed when she heard the Duchess was wearing her jewellery.

“Two years ago she came across my work and requested some pieces to look at,” said Catherine. “It was just before the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee tour and amazingly she ended up wearing some of these pieces.

“She wore the earrings and a bracelet to dinner with the King of Malaysia.

“Suddenly people were trying to guess this new jewellery designer and when they found out it was me they just went crazy.”

“She still wears the earrings,” Catherine added. “She wore them the last two Christmases.”

Catherine splits her time between her home in Quenington and her workshops in Cheltenham and London. She said she thought it was incredible to see the Duchess being so aware of how to help smaller businesses in the UK.

The former Edinburgh College of Art student, who lives with her husband Ollie Blackwell, said she was so pleased to become a Cotswold rocker.

“It’s great because my business is going quite well in cities like London and Edinburgh but it’s quite difficult in smaller places to spread your name,” she said.

“It really helps businesses in this area as there is not the sort of network here that there is in London.”

Visit catherinezoraida.com for more.