Twenty-three-year-old Laura Strand, who comes from Exning where her mum Tracey lives in St Wendred's Way, has just graduated from the Central St Martin's College of Art and Design in London where she was one of only 40 students who took part in the competition to reach the final.

This year's brief to students was to design a diamond dress ring and Laura, who became interested in jewellery while studying art and design, had been working on her design since October as part of her third year curriculum.

"My design used fluid lines which wrap roound the stone and flow around the finger," she said. Although Laura's designwas not chosen as the overall winner, she received £500 for being selected as a finalist and her ring will be sold under her name on the Cool Diamonds website which receives more than five million hits a month.

Laura is now based in London and her next project is an exhibition of work by new designers being staged in Islington.