Jennifer and her daughter Benita approached me when they wanted to commission a one-off pendant as a 21st birthday gift for Jennifer’s Goddaughter Joanna. They liked the idea of using a local craftsperson and enjoyed the process of designing something unique from scratch. Benita had drawn up some ideas based on Joanna’s love of music and combined gemstones into her designs … Read More
Marc’s Bespoke Mixed Metal Wedding Ring
Here’s a ring I’m really excited to be able to share with you – my own husband’s mixed metal wedding ring. Like a lot of men, Marc had never worn a ring before so was quite daunted with the prospect of whittling through the infinite options available to design his perfect wedding ring. However, being engaged to a jewellery designer … Read More
Re-stringing service
Have you ever had a necklace that got tangled or snapped that you wish you could re-string? Philippa had this exact problem with a Baroque coin pearl and garnet necklace she had made for her mother several years ago. It was much loved but had broken through general wear and tear. The tigertail (wire/string) she had used was very fine and not … Read More
Sarah’s Leaf inspired Bespoke Engagement Ring
Yesterday, I got to give the lovely Sarah her bespoke engagement ring – it’s my favourite part of the design process when I get to see the delight and joy of a client when they are handed their dream ring! Sarah’s fiancé Lee popped the question six months ago on the beach with a gorgeous engagement ring charm for her … Read More
The History of Gemstone Jewellery
Gemstones have had a mysterious hold on mankind for as long as humans have been on the planet. Before written language or even the spoken word, there was jewellery. British archaeologist Archibald Campbell Carlyle said of primitive man, “the first spiritual want of a barbarous man is decoration.” But jewellery is more than a mere ornament, a flash of cash … Read More
Proud to be able to offer Fairtrade gold and recycled Silver
I’m really pleased to be able to announce that I now offer bespoke jewellery made with Fairtrade Gold and Recycled Silver! Fairtrade Gold As we are becoming more and more concerned with the provenance of the items we buy, Fairtrade Gold is a fantastic step in the right direction. This is so important when you consider that 90% of the labour force … Read More
Charlotte’s 21st Birthday Ring
Charlotte’s Mum, Anna, asked me to re-design her engagement ring for her daughter’ 21st birthday. The original ring held a single pearl in the centre of a bypass band in 9ct yellow gold. The pearl had long gone missing so she wanted to replace it with a bezel set moonstone and add some diamonds either side of it. I drew up a … Read More
What does bespoke actually mean?
Bespoke is a word often bandied around by companies, but what does it actually mean? The word has an interesting history as discussed in this article. Initially, the word bespoke was “a past participle of the verb ‘to bespeak’ which meant ‘to exclaim or call out’, then it changed to describe ‘to discuss, decide upon’ and lastly became ‘discussed in … Read More
Diamond Education: The 4 C’s
When choosing a diamond, the first things you will need to decide upon are the shape and your budget. If you’re opting for a white diamond, there are four things a good jeweller will discuss with you when giving you your stone options, collectively known as the Four C’s. But before we go into these four characteristics, you’ll need to … Read More
Diamond Shapes
When it comes to choosing a diamond for a piece of jewellery, the first decision you’ll need to make is its shape. The shape of a diamond means more than simply the outline shape of the stone. Each cut has a totally different number, shape and positioning of facets. These variations can have a real impact on sparkle and how … Read More