The Jewellers Journal - The Start Of Autumn In The Workshop

Now that we’ve officially stepped into autumn, the season of jumpers, darker nights, and pretending we don’t mind the rain...things might be cooling down outside, but they’re definitely heating up in the workshop.

We’ve been busy making up some fantastic new pieces of stock from stones we picked up in London last week. These beauties are what the trade calls “breakout stones”, gems that once lived in vintage pieces, now repolished and ready for a second life in brand‑new rings. They’re not the biggest stones in the world, but the quality is absolutely second to none. We’re talking vibrant green emeralds, lush red rubies, and royal blue sapphires; the kind of colours that make you stop mid‑sentence.

The designs we’re working on are deliberately simple, letting those coloured stones be the main character. No fuss, no over‑the‑top detailing, just clean, elegant settings that let the gems do all the talking. Keep your eyes peeled: they should be making their debut by the end of next month.

Last month’s London show was incredibly fruitful too. We’ve got some brilliant new ranges heading to the shop, and we’ll start previewing them on social media over the coming weeks. It feels surreal that we were on our summer holidays only a few weeks ago, and now we’re talking about Christmas but that’s the jewellery trade for you. The festive pieces are already hitting the bench, and we’ve even started on a few customer Christmas commissions. Nothing says “seasonal chaos” quite like polishing a snowflake pendant while still finding sand in your suitcase.

This month’s snazzy new bit of workshop equipment is a microscope. Matt’s been badgering for one for months, and we finally took the plunge. I’ll admit, it felt a bit odd at first, working while staring down a lens like some sort of gemstone detective but after a couple of repairs this week that would’ve been impossible without it, I’m fully converted. Great suggestion, Matt.

And speaking of Matt, we want to give him a massive congratulations for passing his gemmology course. We now have qualifications to back up our gem knowledge, not just the years of experience and the occasional “trust me, I’ve seen a lot of stones.” Well done, Matt, top work.

September shaped up to be a colourful, creative, slightly chaotic month — just how we like it.