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Commissioning a ring from the other side of the world

Let’s start the new year with a story about one of our favourite rings from 2018 crafted for a couple of creatives living their dreams in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Last summer, we received an email enquiring about commissioning a special jewel. Here’s the story:

Kiss me she said...

Flash forward three years. Steven and Wendy are enjoying panoramic views of the desert sunset from their veranda with a cocktail, an evening ritual for most of the year.  “I think it’s time I got you a ring”, he said. And so began the process of designing and crafting a one-of-a-kind engagement ring to represent a one-of-a-kind union.

Wendy had been following us on Instagram for many years, and knew right away that her ring could only come from Ruth. “I love her organic design elements and the raw beauty of Ruth’s creations, I wanted my ring to be as special and unique as the love that Steven and I share.”

A Skype date was set for a one-to-one consultation with Olivia from our team to discuss the design options and elements, and share visuals of the jewels to select from. The result was a dazzling asymmetric cluster of sapphires in varying hues of blue, with twinkling grey diamonds, all nestled amongst our signature granules of 18ct white gold in its natural dark grey tone.

After the ring was delivered in July, the couple set a wedding date for autumn 2019. They are planning a trip to London in the spring to design their wedding bands with Ruth in person!

Steven is a Photographer and published book author whose work has been displayed internationally. Wendy is retired from the fashion industry and now spends her time as a Fibre Artist and riding her horse.

If you’d like to commission a unique piece of Ruth Tomlinson jewellery from afar, please contact the studio to set up a Skype session

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Jewels + Flowers at The Wedding Gallery

We’re excited to be taking part in a special event at our London stockist The Wedding Gallery later this month. Along with our friends at Kitten Grayson, we’ll be hosting a day of jewellery styling and flowers for brides-to-be, their maids and their mums.

Kitten and her team will be creating beautiful handmade floral hair wreaths and flower crowns, as well as offering advice for your on-the-day flowers and bouquet, while the Ruth Tomlinson team will be offering jewellery consultations and sharing ideas for your wedding day jewellery. We’ll bring along a selection of pearls, diamonds, and twinkling jewels in soft pastel tones to dress the whole bridal party.

R.S.V.P to [email protected] to register your interest in attending the event and book a one on one appointment with us.

We’re excited to be working alongside Kitten, a horticulturist and florist who approaches her craft in a similar way as we do ours: embracing the natural and organic details of the materials and seeking out unique alternatives to the traditional. Her style is abundant and romantic, colourful and varied, always attuned to and reflective of the seasons.

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Our hand cut diamonds - a look behind the scenes

As many of our followers know, we make an effort to ensure each and every one of our handmade jewels is a unique creation: the gemstones we source, the tiny details we add to the designs, and the care and attention we give to each piece during the making process. When it comes to our gemstones, and our diamonds in particular, we pride ourselves in sourcing the most unique diamonds we can find. 

Modern technologies and lasers used in diamond cutting mean that these days many diamonds look very similar to each other. We choose to avoid using such stones where possible, favouring raw diamonds (each and every one having its own individual shape and form), old cut diamonds from the Georgian and Victorian eras when each and every stone was still cut entirely by hand and without the help of machinery, and diamonds still cut by hand by master European diamond cutters who can retain the integrity and individual character of the stone and its original, natural form while adding facets that compliment it.

Old cut diamonds possess a charm and individuality that modern cuts do not, and when looking at the stones there is an immediate connection with times past - they remind us of a history and a skill that is in danger of being lost. We work with one of the last factories in Europe still to cut diamonds entirely by hand: a family run business in the heart of Antwerp, one of the main diamond trading centres in the world. Here’s a behind the scenes look at how they work:

The raw diamonds are mounted onto special tools called dops using a cement-like glue, then they are ‘baked’ in an oven for the glue to set in preparation for cutting or polishing.

A row of polishing brackets - the dops are inserted into the brackets which allow the cutter to hold the stone at a particular angle, then they are lowered onto a turntable covered in diamond paste that slowly polishes material away from the raw diamond crystal. There are lots of different shaped dops depending on the stage of cutting and the final shape of the stone.

The talent behind the hand cutting! We believe it’s SO important to keep these skills alive and avoid any chance of them getting lost to machine. Hand cutting makes each diamond completely unique!

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An ode to our mums on Mother’s Day

This week was International Women’s Day and this weekend is Mother’s Day here in the UK, so the Ruth Tomlinson team took a moment to celebrate their mums and share a treasured jewellery-related memory along with a snapshot from years past that have influenced who we are today.

Ruth, Creative Director:

“She wore a Victorian silver t-bar necklace everyday and I always looked at it in detailed fascination - it was so much part of her. It was loved and worn so much the links eventually wore to nothing. That is what I feel the life of a good piece of jewellery should be!”

Olivia, Customer Relations Co-ordinator

“When I was a child, my mum regaled me with stories about the jewellery treasures from Sri Lanka that filled my grandparents’ jewellery box. Although the jewels are no longer part of our family, they sparked my curiosity in jewellery and still exist in my imagination. 

My grandma’s treasures included a large cluster ring and 22ct gold antique drop earrings, both seemingly dripping in beautiful Sri Lankan sapphires. My granddad wore a 22ct gold ring of two narrow bands bordering an elephant hair detail running down the middle of the ring. These fascinated me and really influenced my passion for unique jewellery.”

Kate, Sales & Marketing Manager

“Growing up in the 80s, I adored my mom’s collection of bold, bright jewellery, especially her big, dangly earrings, and I couldn’t wait for the day I turned 16 when I’d be allowed to get my ears pierced and dangle such beautiful things from my own lobes. I begged and pleaded for her to commit to a sooner date, but she stood firm. 

Come the age of 16 I wasn’t actually that bothered and ended up only getting my lobes pierced in my twenties. Nonetheless, my magpie tendency meant that over the years many of those chunky plastic, beaded and brightly painted wood creations that I fell in love with as a kid, made their way in my own jewellery box and I treasure them all as personal heirlooms that I still wear regularly - definitely not reserved only for 80s dress up parties.” 

Becky, Studio Manager

“I was brought up in a catholic family, descended from Irish Catholics, so my first memory of my mother’s jewellery was her crucifix which she wore every day and had been passed down to her from her mum.

I was very excited to get my very own at my first holy communion.  

Later in life both my mum and I have stopped wearing them, probably around the same time we stopped attending church, much to father Paddy’s disappointment.

I am no longer religious but I still have my crucifix, which for me is a nostalgic memory of our close community growing up and the Sunday school clubs attended purely for the orange squash and biscuits rather than the bible readings!”

Ciara, Production Co-ordinator

“My mum is my best friend, and I was her only bridesmaid on my parents’ wedding day -  which was one of the most special days of my life. We spent the whole morning together getting ready, getting our hair curled at the hairdressers and were nearly late! 

She is very low maintenance and doesn’t really wear jewellery, but I have always had a love of jewellery and clothes from a very young age, which she really indulged that day by letting me choose my whole outfit. Everything was heart-shaped or yellow; I had a matching necklace & bracelet, a massive yellow plastic ring with a massive gem that fit me on my thumb that day, but luckily it fits me now and I wear it all the time!”

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Our Christmas Gift Guide

And just like that Christmas is here again. We’ll be wrapping all of our Christmas orders up in special gift boxes again this year, tied and sealed with festive red wax to ensure there is no way any curious eyes can get a peek of what sparkles lie in wait within. 

Here is our curated selection of gifts for different tastes and styles - but all lovers of a beautiful handcrafted jewel:

For those with a quiet style, who prefer an understated luxury with a pared-down, natural appeal, our Mixed Diamond Cluster Studs and Mixed Diamond Cluster Pendant feature old cut white diamonds and rose cut grey diamonds creating with a subtle sparkle for an everyday elegance.

For those who live colourfully, who prefer the bold and bright rather than quiet neutrals, our Mixed Sapphire Encrusted Studs and coordinating Mixed Sapphire Bar Necklace are perfect for pops of colour; while our Four Stone Sapphire Rings with Granules would get a ‘yes’ from any colour fiend.

For the nature lover or eco-warrior, who is fascinated by nature’s creations and does her part in looking after our natural world. Our Diamond Encrusted Hydra Drops resemble treasures from the sea, like coral formations encrusted with nature’s most precious gemstones.

For the bohemians, the centred spiritualists and those drawn to the decorative style of cultures from the East. Inspired by Ruth’s travels to India, its rich cultural heritage, and the historical regal treasures of the Maharajas and Maharanis, our bejewelled Midas collection captures that hearts of those with an affinity to India’s spiritualism and an aesthetic that is eclectic and steeped with symbolism.

And for those who favour a more classic style, but add a dash of their own unique contemporary twist. Our pearl encrusted jewels are designed for them in mind, using freshwater pearls and white diamonds but taking them up a notch with an organic asymmetry and playful appeal. 

And finally, if you’re seeking something exciting, a jewel that’s completely unique that will be filled with memories and carry its own special story, why not gift a Ruth Tomlinson voucher so that your loved one can visit us in person (or over Skype) and discuss a personal commission for the jewel that they’ve always wanted but not yet had the opportunity to realise.

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Laura + Chris’ English country garden wedding

We will always remember Laura and Chris for their alternative ring choices - something that we love and encourage - choosing engagement/wedding rings that say something about you, your lifestyle, your story together, and are uniquely yours.

Laura fell in love with a ring design that wasn’t quite appropriate for everyday wear, but she had her heart set on it and she followed her heart. Chris quietly commissioned a second engagement ring in keeping with the beautiful colours of the first, but made with more hard-wearing stones that will last a lifetime and beyond. He surprised her with it - how romantic! So Laura wore a pair of engagement rings on their wedding day, and Chris wore a band he’s commissioned with grey diamonds and barnacle-like details, so wonderfully unique it prompted us to start thinking of introducing men’s diamond rings to our collections.

Chris and Laura recently got in touch to share photos of their wedding which we knew would be as unique as the pair of them! Set on the beautiful grounds of a country house in Wiltshire (Hatch House), we can’t stop gazing at the dreamy gardens that form the backdrop of a very special celebration with gorgeous botanical details throughout.

(All photographs courtesy of Siobhan Amy Photography & Film)

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Recent re-setting commissions

We’ve worked on some really inspiring re-setting projects over the past few months, our clients bringing us their heirloom jewels, all of which carry personal sentiment and family histories. We’ve taken their jewels and re-imagined them into our contemporary designs, each commissioned to resonate with the wearer and their style, yet still bearing the memories of those who treasured them in their past states over the generations. By giving the jewels new homes, we add to their stories and prepare them to carry on their journeys as family heirlooms, treasured still and enjoyed anew.

LEFT: A selection of stones from both his and her family heirloom jewels, re-housed all together in new homes and now representing our client's engagement ring and wedding band.

RIGHT: Blue and green sapphires, and a rather special diamond belonging to a late mother... turned into a very meaningful engagement ring. We love creating new chapters for our clients to remember their very special and individual family histories.

LEFT: Heirloom sapphires and diamonds, crowned by a deep purple tanzanite, a combination of heirloom family gems and our client’s engagement ring.

RIGHT: A spectacular opal gifted to our client by her late grandfather, re-cut and re-set into a contemporary family heirloom.

LEFT: An impressive white diamond, worn for more than 30 years as an engagement ring, now reworked into a more contemporary design to represent an enduring and dynamic relationship.

RIGHT: A hoard of family diamonds in all shapes and sizes, collected from multiple jewels, and combined into a unique and unexpected pair of rings that fit together perfectly as an engagement and wedding set.

If you’d like us to re-house your heirloom jewels into a contemporary design please get in touch with us at our London studio

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A special sapphire ring commission

A couple of months ago, our slick North London stockist Tomfoolery approached us with a very intriguing project in mind. Laura, their always stylish managing director, paid us a visit with a very large, very beautiful, clear blue sapphire the size my index fingerprint - an impressive 4.09ct stone.

Laura wanted us to make a completely unique and exciting ring incorporating the sapphire and gave us free reign over the design. Ruth’s imagination was fuelled with inspiration from new design developments that she’d been working on, so she looked to these as the basis for the final design: a magnificent asymmetric creation using 1.5ct of white and grey diamonds in an array of cuts clustered around the sapphire, all set amongst tiny granules of 14ct yellow gold.

The ring is now part of Tomfoolery’s exquisite online exhibition celebrating the jewellery makers at the heart of its 20 year history: COLLECTIBLE by tomfoolery. You can also visit their gorgeous jewellery gallery in Muswell Hill to see it and try it on in person.

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A Brief History on Coloured Diamonds

Coloured diamonds have been used in jewellery and adornment for many centuries, though they tended to be reserved for royalty and the very wealthy, being so much rarer than white diamonds. It’s believed that they were first discovered in India where their colour-grading system in particular dates back to the 6th century where it was based on the country’s ancient class structure. Diamonds served as a badge of rank and members of the different castes were only allowed to own and wear specific colours.

White diamonds were reserved for the priests and ruling class, the Brahmins. Brown diamonds (more recently referred to as champagne or cognac due to the influential marketing campaigns of particular diamond mines who specialise in mining this colour) were assigned to the landowners and warriors, while yellow diamonds were for the merchant class. Grey diamonds were assigned to the lower classes, and black diamonds were thought to be cursed.

In the 16th century we see evidence of coloured diamonds being found outside of India, in Africa and South America. Local merchants sold them on to French, English, Dutch and Portuguese traders travelling to the colonies, who in turn brought the stones back to Europe to have them cut into the fashions of the time and used in jewels to adorn those who could afford them.

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Latest press: sapphires are the stone of the moment

Sapphires are having a moment, not only because they are this month’s birthstone, but because of their versatility, durability and (relatively) friendly price tag. Read all about it in The Telegraph!

Almost as hard as diamonds and available in an extensive range of colours and hues, we’ve been using sapphires in our alternative engagement rings for quite some time and always recommend them to our more colour-loving clients. 

As summer draws to a close, we though it the perfect time to introduce some new designs that encourage the cheerful, colourful associations with the season to subtly linger. From sugary pastel clusters, to cool pale blues and greens with nautical references, and the classic deep blue with a Ruth Tomlinson twist. Perfect treasures to celebrate September birthdays with, or to just treat yourself or a loved one to.

Shop all of our sapphire jewels here

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Lizzie + Rich’s relaxed South London wedding

We’ve been looking forward to sharing these snapshots of Lizzie and Rich’s wedding. There is a tangible air of enjoyment throughout, and their relaxed, unfussy approach to their big day translates into a laid-back friends and family affair. 

Lizzie and Rich had their wedding in Brixton, South East London, with their reception at Brixton East 1871, a beautiful former furniture warehouse conversion. We love the informal table decor with gorgeous seasonal foliage, and the lighting details both in the dining area and on the dance floor..

All photos courtesy of Deborah Grace Photography, and you can see more photos and read more about the details on Rock My Wedding

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Recent commissions and their stories

As makers of future heirlooms, storytelling becomes an important element of our jewellery. The impression of treasure, of timelessness, and of ancient and modern come together in our designs together illicit a sense of story in the work.

Added to this, once a jewel has found their owner and an attachment is formed, it becomes a part of their personal story, travelling with them through their life and picking up sentimental meaning along the way. Sometimes, though, as a jewel moves through lifetimes and gets passed down through generations, the settings that house them fall out of favour or no longer fit a need. This is when they come to us to be commissioned into a new design that still carries the jewel’s sentimental value but can be enjoyed and worn again in a new context.

Adrian brought us his late mother’s engagement ring, housing an exquisite blue sapphire surrounded by twinkling white diamonds, along with a pair of his late father’s monogrammed heirloom cufflinks. He wanted the jewels reinterpreted into items that he could wear and enjoy, whilst carrying his parent’s memories. The sapphire was re-invented into a more masculine, organic white gold ring to be worn by him as a reminder of a special mum. The cufflinks, combined with the diamonds from the engagement ring, were re-imagined into a new pair of cufflinks representing the story of both parents together.

Clara paid us a visit with a collection of jewels gifted to her by family members on milestone birthdays over the years. They didn’t get much attention and wear as they were not quite to her taste. We brought them together as a new pair of earrings commissioned especially to be worn at her sister’s upcoming wedding, carrying Clara’s own memories and adding to those created on her sister’s big day.

Emma visited our London studio with a selection of jewels from her late mother’s jewellery box. There were all sorts of treasures collected over a lifetime and beyond. She selected her favourite gems and we created an ethereal pair of asymmetric emerald and diamond earrings that hold a strong sense of the history of the original jewels.

If you’d like to get in touch with us to discuss a re-setting project with jewels that carry a special story, you can find our contact details here

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When one of our own gets married

We love being part of couples’ special moments and celebrations, from the romantic proposal, to the exciting wedding celebration, and beyond. When it’s one of our own who celebrate these special moments, it’s even more exciting! 

Our Sales & Marketing Manager, Kate, got engaged a couple of years ago with a bespoke black, grey and white diamond ring (designed in secret by Ruth) and tied the knot recently on a beautiful vineyard in the countryside near Cape Town. We are thrilled to be part of their unique story together...

Photographs courtesy of Dearheart Photos (click the link to see the full story)

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Wedding Commissions

In many cultures across the world it is very usual to see men with bejewelled fingers, opting for stone encrusted rings rather than unembellished bands and signet rings that seem to be the generally accepted choice for many men here in Western Europe. With this in mind, we were very excited to be commissioned twice in the last few months to create wedding bands with a subtle sparkle for 2 of our male clients. After all, we are of the sound opinion that EVERYONE deserves to wear diamonds.

We’ve also been busy on some gorgeous and unusual engagement ring commissions, as well as a special band encrusted in white and grey diamonds that represent each member of a family. For each creation we worked closely with our clients (2 of them on the other side of the world in the US), combining their unique preferences with our creative vision, resulting in special jewels that represent their story and will absorb so much more meaning over a shared lifetime together and beyond.

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A collaboration with Mary Maddocks

The lovely Mary Maddocks, woman of many talents (lifestyle blogger, writer, photographer and textile artist) paid us a visit in the studio recently. We chatted over cups of tea about our shared love of the natural world and its inspiration to both of our creative work and lives in general, a constant source of fascination and unexpected beauty.

The result was a feature on Mary’s blog - Ruth answering her questions whilst Mary captured our jewels on film in her unique and imaginative style. You can see some of the shots below, and you can read the full article here

(all photographs courtesy of Mary Maddocks)

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Still life paintings by Jan van Huysum

18th century Dutch still life artist Jan van Huysum painted the details of his paintings from close study of the world around him. Unlike his contemporaries, he had all the flowers he chose to paint sought out in order to observe in person every detail, colour and characteristic to render in paint. He once wrote to a patron that, as he couldn’t get hold of a yellow rose, his painting would be delayed until he could. 

We love his glorious depictions of abundant bouquets arranged with elegance and seeming spontaneity in various states of their lifecycle from bloom to decay. 

(Pop over to Anna Potter’s Instagram for inspiring, contemporary bouquets that remind us of van Huysum’s still life paintings)

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Our favourite diamonds: ‘antique cut’ diamonds

The world of cut diamond options is vast. From the countless styles of modern cuts that show off the stone’s brilliance and fire through technically precise cutting technology, to the revival of rose cut stones that twinkle and sparkle through a crown of triangular facets. We do love a pretty rose cut stone, but we cannot resist the allure of an antique or ‘old cut’ stone.

There’s been an increased interest in old cut stones recently, such as the ‘Old Mine cut’ and the ‘Old European cut’ (you can find out specifics on both of those here). Not only are these stones friendly to the earth (no destructive mining!), they are also ethical (no exploitation of miners!) and they are becoming increasingly rare both due to increased demand, and to cutters and lapidaries re-cutting these old cuts into more modern options (thus loosing a considerable amount of the carat mass).

Old cut diamonds are also becoming more and more popular because of their more delicate and understated sparkle compared to the big, bright brilliance of modern cuts. Fashions are always changing, and the ‘blingy’ look is less popular these days, making way for a resurgence in interest in the ‘old cuts’. Added to this, they each carry a unique history - the perfect choice for those who appreciate craft and heritage.

Some of our ‘new’ antique diamond engagement rings:

Find our current selection on our website