Up to 25 new jobs are being created with the expansion of Sussex-based jewellery company Icon.

The firm, which runs jewellery concessions in top High Street stores, is relocating from Lewes to Brighton and staff have also been recruited for the first Icon store which opens today.

New designers, buyers and merchandisers have already been employed in recent weeks but the company still needs accounts people, warehouse and customer service staff.

The rapid expansion of the company, which currently employs about 80 people nationwide and was winner of the Sussex New Business Award in 1993, is due to have two new contracts secured to provide jewellery for Tesco and Bhs.

A new internet service is also planned to go on-line in the next few weeks.

Owner Carly Reed, who is from Brighton, said: "Creating our own shop, in addition to the concessions we have in other stores, was born out of frustration last Christmas at the bad time the clothing business was having. While we didn't need to discount our products we had to because the shops they were in had sales, so we decided to build something of our own where we are in control."

The new shop will be in Nile Pavilions in The Lanes but Icon is also opening a new headquarters more than four times the size of its current office space.

Ms Reed's innovative approach to business will be seen not only in her shop, which offers a boyfriend creche, stylists able to offer up-to-the minute fashion advice, and an in-store "live" magazine shown on giant television screens, but also she says in her approach to staff.

By the new year she hopes her new headquarters will include a gym, sunbed rooms and a dry-cleaning and laundry service.

Ms Reed said: "I want to build an empire out of Icon out of both our own stores and the concessions and I want to build a business for the 21st Century."