The allure of precious metals has continued throughout the centuries.  For thousands of years these metals have been crafted into jewellery using tools and techniques, many of which are still used today.

I use bullion dealers / refiners that supply recycled precious metals, rather than ones that use newly mined materials.  I work in a number of different precious metals including sterling silver, 9ct and 18ct yellow, white and red / rose gold.  Please find some information below which goes into more detail about precious metals, their properties and qualities.

A Hallmark consists of a series of marks applied to articles of precious metals including, platinum, gold, palladium and silver.

• Who made the article - The Sponsor's mark - the initials of the maker (GE)
• What the metal is - The Traditional Fineness mark (example; gold is signified by a crown) & the Millesimal mark which signifies the metals fineness/purity (example; 750 - for 18ct Gold). 
• Where it was tested (Assayed) and marked - the Assay Office mark. (London - Leopard's Head Mark).
• When the piece was stamped - The date letter signifies this (example; 'r' for 2016).

The majority of my work is hallmarked, with the exception of some smaller items such as silver items that weigh under 7.8 grams or pieces under 1 gram in gold, which is the maximum legal limit for un-hallmarked pieces and/or pieces that are exempt because hallmarking would damage the design.  However, quite often pieces that are under this weight are hallmarked anyway.  If you have any questions to whether a piece is hallmarked, please contact me.

I often incorporate gemstones into my designs using stones which are sourced from reputable merchants who guarantee that their gemstones are conflict free. 

There are various options to consider when choosing a stone.  The majority of stone set pieces I create incorporate either diamonds, sapphires (available in a wide range of colours, not just blue!) and rubies because of their hardness and ability to withstand everyday wear.  This makes them particularly suited for rings designs, especially wedding and engagement rings or others that are intended to be worn everyday for a long time.  There are a range of possibilities including type, shape, size, colour and quality of gemstone.

Gemstones can be set in various ways.  I tend to use round, oval and pear shaped gemstones as I find that they lend themselves to the organic flowing lines of my designs, but occasionally I use other shapes.  Whether they are set into the curls of the tendrils or a rub-over or claw setting, they can be used to enhance a design with their size, quality and colour or be used to represent something.  For instance, birthstones can be chosen to represent your birthday or family members birthdays. 

If you have your own gemstones these can be considered for inclusion for sentimental or environmental reasons.  Please get in contact to discuss things further.

The size of your hands can change over the course of the day and can also be affected by temperature (your fingers will be smaller when it’s cold and larger when warm).  It might be best to have your finger measured a few times to ensure you order the best size, usually in the afternoon or evening when your fingers are likely to be at their largest.  Remember your hands will be slightly larger in the warmer months and smaller in the colder ones.  Therefore ideally you want a ring to fit snuggly in the warmer months but not so tight as to be uncomfortable or too loose in the cooler months.  If you require further advice about how to make sure you have the correct ring size, please get in contact to discuss things further.

Earrings on hook fittings instead of posts?

All earrings, unless otherwise stated have a 'post' fitting.  If you prefer hooks many of my designs can be altered to accommodate this fitting.  Please contact me stating the piece you have in mind.  There is normally no extra charge for this service.

Can earrings be made into clip-ons? 

A lot of my designs can accommodate clip-on or screw back fixing earrings.  Please contact me with the design you have in mind and I will be able to advise if it is suitable and the additional cost.

In the past I have supplied galleries and retail outlets including the various branches of the John Lewis Partnership, including Southampton, Glasgow, Bluewater and the Oxford Street branch in London.  However alongside my 'Collections' my passion lies with working one on one to create bespoke pieces made to the individual requirements of the customer commissioning the piece.  

I feel very privileged to have created many pieces over the years to celebrate or commemorate big life events such as engagements, weddings and anniversaries or just as a special piece for yourself.

I take great pride in my work and it means a great deal to me that pieces I create will be treasured for years to come.  Please see the various pages in the 'Bespoke Gallery' and 'Wedding & Engagement Rings' section of the website as well as the 'Testimonials' page.  Once you have viewed these, please use the 'Bespoke Enquiry Form' and I look forward to discussing things further.   I am based in Hampshire UK, near to beautiful New Forest, which provides inspiration for my work.  However, your location is no barrier to creating a piece for you, we can discuss your commission via email, phone or video call. 

Whether it is a traditional diamond solitaire ring or something more unusual there are a variety of styles, gemstones and precious metals which can be used to create the perfect ring to mark this important life event. 

It's also a good idea to consider what designs would work well with a wedding band.  I can create designs to fit alongside a traditional plain wedding band or if you want to consider something more elaborate I can make suggestions (examples are copied below).

Examples of two and three ring Bridal Sets:

I can create two rings designed to be worn together, made so they look like one ring, but will also look equally good when worn individually.  I have also made designs that incorporate three rings - one engagement ring and two weddings rings.  However, the third could be added later as an eternity ring if you so wish.

If you already have an engagement ring and would like a wedding ring created to fit alongside it, this is possible.  There have been many occasions where I have done this, even with unusual shaped rings.  Please see the examples below and visit the 'Shaped Wedding Rings' page in the Bespoke Gallery. 

Please contact me via the Bespoke Enquiry Form to discuss the various options further.  If known please let me know the carat of gold and the type and size of gemstone that you have.  If you can email me a photo  it's a really useful way to initially determine what is feasible and what designs work best.

Wedding Rings created to fit with unusual shaped engagement rings:

I also create matching rings or ones in a similar style if you would like you and your partners ring to be the same or have a similar look.  Please visit the 'Matching Sets' page for examples.

Engraving can be a lovely way to personalise jewellery.  Rings can be engraved with text, a date, initials or even a motif.  Quotes are dependant on what is required.  Please note that in some instances this can add to the time-scale but this is looked at on an individual basis, so please contact me to discuss your requirements.

Precious pieces that will last a lifetime and serve as a reminder of a wonderful wedding day.

Wedding and bridal jewellery can be created for the bride, groom, bridal party or as thank you gifts for bridesmaids, ushers, family members and other members of the bridal party to present on the day.  Designs can be tailored to your requirements and compliment existing pieces such as the wedding and engagement rings.

The 'Collections' pages display a variety of different pieces including matching necklaces, bangles and earrings that are perfect for you and your bridal party on the special day.  These precious pieces will last a life time to be worn again and again and serve as a reminder of your special day.

You can commission me to create a special piece of jewellery, designed and handcrafted especially for you. I am also able to create matching sets for your bridal party.  These can be 'Bespoke' designs created to your own requirements or one of my existing designs that can be customised for you.

There are many pieces of jewellery in the Collections pages that are ideal for bridesmaids and make wonderful thank you presents.

If you would like to see what other people have said about my work, please see the 'Testimonials' pages.

Prevention / Removal

If your jewellery does become badly tarnished it should be noted that tarnishing is not a permanent effect on silver and can be removed.  It is also possible to retain/restore a high bright shine with the proper care in a number of ways as mentioned above.  If your jewellery has a build up of dirt and grime then a mild detergent and a soft toothbrush is a good way to remove this.

Please note that with regards to tarnish I do not recommend using Silver Dip.  It hastens the speed in which silver tarnishes afterwards as well as the possibility of pitting and damaging the metal in the process. 

An 'Ultra-Sonic' machine will thoroughly clean pieces, removing tarnish and any grime that has built up (even from areas that a cloth cannot reach).  However, it should be noted that pearls and some gemstones are not suitable for this.  To restore the ultimate in high shine finishes and also remove small surface scratches, it is preferable to use a combination of re-polishing with mops and various polishing compounds and using a 'ultra-sonic' machine.  These are services that I also provide so if you would like to discuss things further, please contact me to discuss your requirements.  If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

If you have any other questions regarding my work, commissioning or ordering, please see the other pages such as 'About', 'Go Bespoke?' and 'How to Order' pages or get in touch via the Contact page.