The Jewellers Journal: Heirloom Transformations, New Staff Roles & A Sparkling Start to the Year

After a well-earned Christmas break, we returned to the workshop with a bang and straight into the whirlwind of our New Year Sale. It was all hands on deck, and things got so hectic that the sales team took over the workshop to prep stock for the windows… which meant I was swiftly evicted from my own bench! Chaos, yes but the good kind.

Despite the madness, we still found time to create some truly special pieces. One of my favourites this month was a commission that really tugged at the heartstrings: a customer brought in her late parents’ wedding rings, and we transformed them into a beautiful new piece for her daughter’s 21st. It’s these kinds of projects full of sentiment and story that remind us how powerful jewellery can be.

Behind the scenes, there’s been a shift too. After nine brilliant years with us, Krizzie has stepped into a new role as our Social Media Manager and in-house photographer. We’re now teaming up to give you a proper peek into the workshop showing the full journey of a piece from start to finish. Expect to see more “before, during, and after” transformations, and a few behind-the-scenes moments that capture the magic (and the mess) of the bench.

Looking ahead, we’re excited to be launching a brand-new range of engagement rings across both shops this spring. With the rise of lab-grown diamonds, we’ve seen a big shift in what customers are choosing. Where we used to start at 0.30ct and top out at 1ct, we’re now designing rings at 1ct, 1.5ct, 2ct, even 2.5ct. It’s a bold new chapter, and we’re loving the creative freedom it brings.

We’re also seeing more and more customers bringing in their own gold to be reused, a smart move with gold prices on the rise. It’s one of our favourite things to do: taking old, sentimental pieces and reimagining them into something fresh. Thanks to our CAD software, we can now show you exactly what your new piece will look like before we even start making it a real game-changer for bespoke design.

And finally, a quick nod to Arron, who’s been (not-so-subtly) encouraging me to keep the workshop tidy. Apparently, my old excuse “a busy bench is the sign of a busy mind… so what of an empty bench?” isn’t cutting it anymore. I suppose it’s time to embrace a bit of order… or at least pretend to.

Here’s to a creative, sparkly February and as always, thank you for being part of our journey.

Mark, Goldsmith & Director