The Jewellers Journal: New Toys, Old Skills, and a Bit of Sunshine
May has been a cracking month in the workshop, the kind where you look around and realise just how far things have come, without ever losing what made the place special in the first place.
A New Bit of Kit (That Doesn’t Make Tea… Yet)
The big excitement this month was the arrival of our brand‑new XRF machine.
If you’ve never seen one, imagine an X‑ray machine that’s had a few coffees and decided it wants to analyse everything.
Pop a piece of jewellery inside and it’ll tell us exactly what metal it’s made from — gold, silver, platinum, the lot...right down to the percentages. For customers bringing in pieces to sell, redesign, or melt down, it means we can give you a more accurate, confident assessment than ever before.
If I accidentally scan myself, I’m expecting the reading to come back 80% Brummie, 20% Geordie.
(And probably 100% in need of a holiday.)
Redesigns: From Pencil Scribbles to Photorealistic Magic
We’ve had a whole wave of redesign work come through the workshop this month, and it’s funny to look back at how the process has evolved over the 20 years I’ve been here.
Back then, we’d start with a rough pencil sketch, the kind where you’d need imagination, trust, and about four or five visits to visualise the final piece.
Now? We can create a CAD image and video so realistic that even we sometimes forget the jewellery doesn’t exist yet.
It’s like watching the future and the past shake hands.
Modern Tools, Traditional Hands
One thing I’m proud of is how the business has grown without losing its roots. Over the past decade we’ve invested in:
-XRF technology
-Laser welders
-3D printers
-Computer‑aided design
-Computer‑aided manufacturing
But we’ve never let go of the traditional bench skills that built The Jewellers Guild in the first place. Twenty‑six years of craftsmanship doesn’t get replaced...it gets enhanced.
It’s that blend of old and new that lets us create the best experience (and the best jewellery) for our customers. And we’re always reviewing, refining, and improving. Standing still just isn’t in our nature.
A Sneak Peek at What’s Coming
Keep an eye on our social media, the pieces you see there are just the tip of the iceberg.
Behind the scenes, the workshop is producing new designs week in, week out. Some are sentimental rebuilds, some are bold new commissions, and some start life as a customer saying, “I’ve had an idea…”
If you’ve got an idea of your own, pop in and chat to our brilliant shop team.
It costs nothing to ask, and we’re always happy to advise you on the best way forward.
And Finally… Sunshine and Air Con
It looks like the warm weather has finally arrived and thankfully, one of the best investments we ever made (after the XRF machine, of course) was air conditioning.
Because nothing says “artisan craftsmanship” like a goldsmith who isn’t melting before the metal does.
