There’s more to this article than meets the eye. Lovely Sarah speaks from the heart about her custom made wedding rings with vintage and family heirloom gems. And she won me over the first time I read this piece – what could be more romantic than giving new life to a treasured diamond or gemstone? The loveliness of Heulwen Lewis Bespoke also lies in its creator. There are plenty of ethical diamonds businesses, and bigger brands making bespoke rings. But having spoken to this lovely lady, I’d choose her if I was looking for a wedding or engagement ring. Because a special ring should have heart and soul, and Sarah’s shines through in everything she creates. Please read this – it’s wonderful.
Last month I had the pleasure of delivering a vintage style cluster ring made from preloved jewellery to a lovely client who wanted a remodelled piece. We used diamonds from three preloved rings and combined her 18ct yellow gold with some recycled platinum for added white sparkle! It was definitely one of my favourite designs to date: when the client called to say thank you, I found myself tearing up!
Hearing how happy she was was great feedback. Even after sixteen years in the jewellery business, I’ve never grown tired of breathing new life into preloved items and remodelling them to reflect the wearer’s personal style – and this feels even more relevant now.
Life has turned on its head over the last few years, and many people are rethinking how they want to live their lives. Shopping feels more meaningful these days: customers are telling me they’re vowing to support ethical local businesses from now on or that they’re avoiding fast disposable fashion.
This attitude applies to jewellery too. More couples than ever are asking us to create engagement and wedding rings that incorporate old stones. Others are bringing vintage gold or platinum they’d like to meltdown and remodel. Or sentimental items that have been gathering dust because they don’t suit modern tastes — the ring from a lost loved one, the vintage earrings from a grandparent, the pendant handed down from generation to generation. We love transforming these keepsakes to suit the current owner, so they can be worn with pride and treasured for years to come.
A lot of the feel-good factor comes from knowing these pieces are sustainable. Of course, I love the buzz of shiny brand-new things. But for the planet’s sake, I prefer to reuse what customers already own to create what they want instead.
Sometimes that means melting down customers’ metal and redesigning something fabulous. When this isn’t possible, we source recycled metals from other sustainable sources. Customers are sometimes surprised to hear that all loose diamonds and gemstones can also be reused, from the tiniest to the largest. Should there be any wear and tear, such as chips/scuffs from the old mount, these can be polished out until the stones look as good as new. Again, we source stones from sustainable and fairtrade sources when vintage stones aren’t available.
After all, precious gemstones and metals have been around for billions of years! And they’ll likely be around for many more. By their very nature, these materials lend themselves to being recycled and reused over and over. In this way, even as fashions and tastes change, it is possible to stay up-to-date in a sustainable way.
Looking for inspiration for your wedding? Take this redesign of a much-loved claw set ring, combined with two diamonds from a pair of unworn studs. I loved remodelling them into a stunning contemporary five stone engagement ring.
Or perhaps you’re looking for an alternative wedding ring for the groom? I created this signet ring from a preloved ring that we cleaned, resized and fitted with a specially cut stone.
So why not dust off your forgotten gems and get in touch? We’d love to transform your vintage jewellery into a future heirloom that’s sustainable for generations to come.
Get in touch here: https://www.heulwenlewisbespoke.com
Heulwen Lewis Bespoke is an English Wedding member
We’re delighted to showcase this wonderful collection of bridal hair accessories and jewellery by the fabulously talented Clare Lloyd. Inspired by butterflies in the most exquisitely beautiful way, Clare’s Aurelian Collection combines fine handcrafted details with thoughtfully crafted botanical curves. A chemical free collection of handmade leaves and flowers, stems and buds from natural metals, glass and crystal, this is the one-of-a-kind accessory you’re likely to fall head over heels in love with. I always think of Clare’s handcrafted bridal pieces as heirlooms – they’re so beautifully made and wonderfully detailed.
“This collection was all about intricate botanical details and soft verdigris and metallic colours. I wanted these headpieces to look like floral illustrations weaving their way through your hair. The collection is named after ‘The Aurelian’ by Moses Harris which is a beautifully illustrated study of British moths and butterflies written in 1766 and each of my designs is named after a butterfly or moth.
I have made a collection of headpieces, hair pins and crowns that can be combined to create your own unique hair accessory with designs available in soft verdigris colours or in simple ivory and white tones.
This collection was the first complete collection where I really started to think carefully about the materials I used and where they came from.
I have never used any chemicals in my jewellery making work so I used salt and vinegar to create the verdigris effect on my raw brass leaves – time consuming and made the studio smell like a chip shop but no nasty chemicals used and some beautiful colours and effects achieved.
I also started to only use UK suppliers and a smaller range of materials with the exception of a lovely woman in America who presses some of the brass leaves used in this collection.
I started making my own headbands from copper stripped out of wire cables (my partner is an electrician so I get all my copper from his waste cable).
My Aurelian collection was really the turning point in me changing the way I worked and the materials I used.
The shoot took place at Hamswell House in Bath on the most perfect autumnal October day where the golden light was perfect and the views over the Bath countryside were beautiful.
SUPPLIER DETAILS
Hair accessories and jewellery by – Clare Lloyd Accessories
Photographer – @bowtieandbellephotography
Styling – Kate Cullen www.katecullen.co.uk
Florals – Claire Spiller
Dresses – Kate Edmondson www.kateedmondsonbridal.co.uk
Shoes – https://freyarose.com
Furniture – @tricia4vintage
Paper Goods – Laura Elizabeth Patrick www.lauraelizabethpatrick.com
HMUA – www.jennifersdressingtable.co.uk
Venue – Hamswell House, Bath https://www.hamswellhouse.co.uk
Model – Lilly Graham via Bame Models
You’re so lucky to be here, at the beginning of your wedding planning journey. You’re about to discover a world of creative, skilled and passionate craftsmen and women who will help you along the way. There’s nothing I enjoy more than hearing what inspires these amazing wedding creatives. Today we’ve interviewed lovely Sarah, bespoke ring designer at Heulwen Lewis Bespoke. From sustainability through paper shoes, Mary Poppins and her Gramp’s paintings, Sarah’s story is fascinating and of course it goes without saying, her creations are absolutely stunning. I hope you enjoy our feature today! 
So Sarah, tell me your story again – I love hearing about your Grampy and your Nanna’s box of buttons and sparkly things!
When I was tiny I used to sit with my Gramp painting, he would teach me how to draw to scale and I watched as he painted amazing portraits of the family as well as landscapes. He explained how times back then didn’t allow him to make a career out of it, my love for art made me want to make a career for the both of us. He was my inspiration. All of the family have at least one painting hanging on our wall.
As I grew, I always loved creating things, from Meccano, to threading beads and creating paper shoes. I loved all things miniature, I believe Miniature World was one of my favourite places to visit, which seemed to lead quite nicely into jewellery in later life.
How did you get into bespoke jewellery design?
When I graduated with my Masters, I knew I just had to make sustainable and glamorous things. My degree was Fashion Artefacts at London College of Fashion, the course focused solely on designing/making products that last through time and aren’t just throw away or fast fashion! Thus, bespoke became me and each piece I design really has to mean something to its owner, to be cherished and passed on forevermore.
Where do you get your inspiration from when a customer comes to you for ideas?
When a client gets in touch for a bespoke item, it’s really all about them, so I ask a lot of questions!
What they like, what type of jewellery piece they want – i.e ring, necklace, earrings, what their everyday style may be, metal preferences, favourite colour and if they have an era of style they prefer? Sometimes, just having this information is enough to sketch ideas together and we hit the spot right there and then. Other times, I ask for a handful of images, patterns, objects and types of jewellery they like/would wear, from there I can pinpoint similarities and design accordingly.
What’s your workspace like?
It’s very organised! I have a mood board above my desk which helps to keep the design ideas flowing and also a check list for what I need to do next. I like to tick things off, it’s very satisfying.
I am in the process of moving to a new premises, which is super exciting and I am looking forward to having a new consultation room, where I can showcase my workbench and design desk.
Has your jewellery design style evolved since you first started?
My jewellery design style is constantly evolving, personally I love designing pieces inspired by Art Deco or Nouveau. However, with bespoke, it’s not really about me, occasionally people come to me for my style, often they want a design that is truly them, which is why my portfolio can appear to be very different from piece to piece.
If you could design a bespoke ring for someone famous, who would you choose?
I actually think I would choose Mary Poppins – so not a real famous person! But I have a real love for Mary Poppins and I think I could design something ‘Practically Perfect in Every Way!’
And some FAQ style questions on behalf of our lovely readers who might want to get in touch with you…
I’d like a bespoke ring, but I just wouldn’t know where to start. Help!
Don’t worry, I am here to help! From information about which gemstones and/or diamonds to go for, down to metal preference, the design itself and the cost.
All advice and consultations are FREE to ensure your design journey is friendly, informative and goes smoothly so we are able to create the perfect ring for you.
How long does it take to have a bespoke wedding / engagement ring made?
On average bespoke pieces take 6-8 weeks. I advise to try and get your engagement/wedding rings 4-6 months before the big day, this is to ensure we have everything boxed and ready for the big day! After all, your rings are on your hands for a lifetime after the event, so it’s definitely one of the first things I would recommend ticking off the list!
Can I afford it?
Absolutely! Bespoke doesn’t mean spending big bucks, just let me know your budget and I can advise accordingly. I have commissions from £200+, a lot of my bespoke commissions are remodels from old to new, not only is this sustainable, but can be very sentimental. It’s always worth having a gander through your jewellery box to see if there is any gold, platinum or gemstones you can use towards your new items, as this can reduce the cost substantially.
I have a piece of vintage jewellery that’s really important to me. Can we keep all the bits even if we don’t use them?
Yes, depending on what you would like to do with your vintage piece, we can retip, resize or remodel! When remodelling, we can unset the stones to put in a new design or use the metal within your new design. Any remaining stones or metal not used will be returned to you.
Heulwen Lewis Bespoke is an English Wedding member
Web: https://www.heulwenlewisbespoke.com