Harriet Kelsall Jewellery Design
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Hi there,

Over the last few months we have recieved many enquiries about palladium engagement and wedding rings. In fact each time our goldsmith completes a ring it doesn't hang around too long before some one spots it and falls in love with it, particularly the diamond solitaires.

Here are just a few examples of palladium rings we have made to date. One of our goldsmiths have just started work on a beautiful simple solitare engagement ring that will be available to buy in approximatley 5 weeks time, so keep checking the ready to wear engagement rings pages.

In a few weeks time I will be attending a lecture at the Goldsmiths Hall in London, dedicated to the versatlity of palladium. We have been waiting a while for this metal to recieve a hallmark, bringing the renowned mark of quality to this exciting metal and I understand that this will be discussed or announced at this event.

I will let you know the outcome.

Tracy

Hi there

Its been such great weather this week and so lovely to see the daffodils and crocuses coming up - spring at last! Reading Antoinette's blog last week, I though it would be nice to show you some other flower-inspired engagement rings from our ready to wear engagement rings collection.

A rose inspired engagement ring

A tulip inspired engagement ring

Enjoy the good weather while it lasts!

Harriet

Recently Harriet and I went to the British Jewellery Association Annual General Meeting http://www.bja.org.uk/ which this year was held at the Victoria and Albert Museum. Probably the idea of any AGM automatically makes you stifle a yawn and to be honest, we weren't that sure what to expect. In the end though the meeting was very informative and interesting and gave us a bit of a boost. There is so much gloom and doom in the news these days, its sometimes easy to over look the fact that even in a recession people will still get engaged and married, people will always have birthdays and reasons to buy presents and to celebrate. The British Jewellery Association observed that whilst global demand was down those of us who work hard, believe in our product, innovate and offer the very best service that any customer could want, will continue to do well.

After the meeting and some very pleasant sandwiches, we were fortunate enough to be able to look at the exquisite Bollinger Collection. http://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/fashion/features/jewellery/index.html The William and Judith Bollinger Jewellery Gallery displays over 3,500 jewels and is hugely impressive. The rooms are dark with the lighting coming from behind, above and below the jewels. The atmosphere created by this clever lighting is of walking into a secret cave and your eyes squint and adjust to the dimness only to fall upon the almost overwhelming profusion of gold and gemstones. At first it is almost an assault upon the senses, there is an overabundance of colour, a superfluity of sparkle, but as you walk along the displays and your eyes adjust, you are able to focus upon each individual and unique piece of jewellery. You can separate and appreciate one particularly exquisite gemstone or one intricate design. Even though I work every day with goldsmiths and see the incredible talent that they have, see how they can transform a small piece of gold, into a wonderful original creation, I never cease to be impressed by it; I never cease to wonder at it. As we looked at the pieces in the museum, I could picture Richard Tunstall, Chung-shan or Ryan hammering, shaping and working a piece of metal into the shapes and Vic steadily and skillfully setting the beautiful stones.

Anyway I am going off into a bit of a romantic tangent here! I recommend that you go see the collection; I think you will enjoy it as much as Harriet and I did. Below are a couple of pieces that we particularly liked and a little bit of info which I have taken from the Victoria and Albert website.

This is a Chatelaine. Chatelaines were extraordinarily ornate and decorative jewellery that were used to carry small, useful items such as scissors and keys. They were worn when women had no pockets and dangled down from the waist. Although most common in the 18th century, they were revived in very ornate form during the Victorian era. This example was shown at the Great Exhibition in London in 1851. 'Cynical observers suspected that the chatelaine's decorative function outweighed (quite literally) any real usefulness'.

This is a set of 46 individual diamond ornaments. Aren't they stunning!

Catherine the Great commissioned Leopold Pfisterer to create this extraordinary set of diamond dress ornaments in 1764. Records show that originally there were more jewels in the set, and that they included both diamond and garnet components.

Hi

Harriet was in the Daily Telegraph on Wednesday bringing some much needed good news; you can catch up with the article here

http://www.telegraphbusinessclub.co.uk/

Spring is here and to start it off we have made a new collection of some fabulous jewellery to make any outfit stand out! Our new pieces are full of fresh colours and fresh styles. Here are a couple of my personal favourite sets and if you would like to decide which are yours, have a look at our dress jewellery website: http://www.purple-label.com/search/web/collection/Spring-Fresh

When I was growing up watching my dad make jewellery, he taught me to pronounce the gemstone 'peridot' with the end part of the word pronounced 'dot' to rhyme with 'hot'. However, I have gone through my life in the jewellery trade with people within the industry regularly trying to correct me in a rather aloof way trying to make me pronounce the end of the word like 'doe' with a silent 't', saying rather snootily 'It is a French word, don't you know'.

A look in my shorter Oxford English dictionary about 15 or 20 years ago confirmed that my pronunciation is correct and back then it said in the dictionary that the origin of the word was unknown.

However, peridot is a gemstone – a green gem quality version of olivine. So if the whole of the UK jewellery industry (except me!) is pronouncing it 'peri-doe' then actually perhaps it is now the dictionary that is wrong because of course the dictionary is supposed to change to reflect the English language and things like pronunciation do change.

I must ask Anna to write a blog about this stone as it is interesting anyway and she recently studied this for her group on my in-house gemstone training course. She was saying that the route of the word is probably actually from “Peridone” the Greek meaning 'giving prolifically'. This again confirms that the 'dot' should rhyme with 'hot'.

I notice here:- http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/peridot , if my understanding is correct, that it seems to say that the main pronunciation is with the 'dot' rhyming with 'hot' but seems to suggest this alternative pronunciation quietly without giving it much room on the pronunciation guide. It also says that the origin of this word is French which I don’t think is actually right but I would love to know if this is true – please do e-mail and let me know if you do!

The thing is, even if it originates from a French word, then perhaps it is rather pretentious to pronounce exclusively it this way in England– a bit like saying 'I have just been to Roma for the weekend' instead of 'Rome'. And if it isn't French at all, it rather reminds me of the way that I have to mock many of my American friends who think that it is correct to pronounce 'herb' with a silent 'h' in a mock French accent – as though the word is French, which it isn't!

Anyway – I have no problem with people pronouncing 'peridot' either way actually, but do find it a bit petty and annoying when people try to correct me on this issue. I think either must be OK and that the dictionary should be changed to include both.

See you soon,

Harriet

When customers come to us wanting to buy a present for a friend, and they are unsure where to start with the huge choice that we offer, we often suggest the relevant birthstone. Stones associated with the time of one's birth have been used since antiquity as a way to give good luck on a birthday. Gemstones themselves seem to have acquired a list of qualities associated with them. Different cultures have different stones associated with the month and this has led to there being all sorts of different month gemstones. http://www.purple-label.com/birthstones.asp

The mythical properties of birthstones were first described over 1000 years ago in Tibet and the Ayurvedic list is from this type of Ayurvedic Indian Medicine which has been used for over 1000 years. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayurveda There is confusion about which stone represents which month of zodiac because the lists have changed quite a lot over the ages. Today many different versions still exist.

So what about the 'traditional' birthstones list?

As religions developed, gemstones became important the customs of worship. Most gem experts agree that the traditional birthstone list and idea arose from the Breastplate of Aaron. This High Priest's plate was referred to in Exodus in the Bible as a ceremonial religious garment set with 12 gemstones each representing the 12 tribes of Israel. The Old Testament tells us that this plate was designed by God himself and made from thread and metal set with precious stones in four rows of three – each one engraved with the name of one of the 12 tribes of Israel. No-one knows exactly what these stones were, but it is thought that these 12 stones could also corresponded to the 12 signs of the zodiac and thus closely to the 12 months of the year.

In the New Testament the twelve foundation stones engraved with the names of the Apostles were said to be based on the stones of the breastplate and were given specific meanings:

Jasper: Satisfaction

Sapphire: the soul

Chalcedony: the truth

Emerald: kindness and goodness

Sardonyx: strength

Sardius: readiness to shed his blood for the Church.

Chrysolite: excellence of his divine nature (chrysolite is transparent olivine which is also known as peridot)

Beryl: moderation and control of the passions (there are many types of Beryl including emerald, aquamarine and green beryl

Topaz: uprightness

Chrysophase: strerness towards sinners

Jacinth: dignity (this is a red variety of zircon).

Amethyst: perfection

It is these associations that were the most likely the starting point for the meanings we now link to certain gemstones.

Over 1000 years later the Egyptians introduced the signs of the zodiac. Particular gemstones became associated with the months of the year and became known as birthstones. In turn the zodiac gemstones were also created.

Each birthstone has its own history, meanings, holistic properties and myths. They are associated with folklore tales, biblical texts and history, and each one certainly has its own story. Each gemstone has some biblical association.

January- Faith, Eternity, Truth
1. February- Luck, Wittiness, Health
2. March- Happiness, Understanding
3. April- Eternity, Courage, Health
4. May- Fidelity, Goodness, Love
5. June- Peace, Nobility, Beauty
6. July- Love, Enthusiasm, Strength
7. August- Success, Peace, Love
8. September- Serenity, Truth
9. October-Purity, Hope, Health
10. November-Wisdom, Courage, Sincerity
11. December- Love, Happiness, Luck

People who believe that stones have healing powers, usually also believe that these powers are heightened in the month with which the stone is also associated.

The Goldsmith's list of birthstones was produced in 1937 and still remains today a fairly reliable one to follow, combining traditional and modern factors. These days, new gemstone discoveries and marketing are beginning to influence these associations rather than superstitions and folklore (eg in the USA Tanzanite has been recently added to zircon and turquoise for December and so we in Britain will be adopting this too).

You may remember that last year we were getting excited because we had found a source for fairly traded 18ct white and yellow gold - well now we're even more excited because we've used it up! It has proven to be of real interest to a lot of people who are keen to know that they are doing their bit for the environment while still getting a pretty, bespoke piece of jewellery. The best bit now, though, is that the 18ct white gold we have just managed to source is in a more useful size for us to use which gives us greater flexibility in the designs we can create for you. (For those teccies amongst you, we've got 3.5mm square wire instead of 3mm round wire - believe me, it makes a lot of difference!!)

The gold is mined in the Choco region of Columbia by Artisan Small Scale miners (ASMs) who operate within Fairtrade Labelling Organization / Alliance for Responsible Mining's Fair Trade Principles. This means producers who comply with or are working towards compliance with the ARM's Standard for Fairtrade-certified artisanal gold and associated precious metals are paid fair prices.

The suppliers also have to have clear environmental management policies. They are required to do the following:

1. a. Abide by national environmental legislation
2. b. Practice analogue forestry (to preserve the environmental balance in the forests)
3. c. Minimise water use and prevent pollution of water resources.
4. d. Minimise the use of toxic chemicals, such as mercury and cyanide, in the mining and processing of precious metals
5. e. Preserve ecosystems, particularly those that form the environment of indigenous people.

More information about Fairtrade can be found through these websites:

http://www.fairtrade.net

http://www.communitymining.org

More information about analogue forestry can be found here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Analog_forestry

By the way (talk about good timing!) it's Fairtrade fortnight until 8th March. For more information about this annual event, see the Fairtrade foundation website http://www.fairtrade.org.uk

Hello All

Spring is my favourite time of year - and hurrah its here!

There is something exciting about the feeling of expectation and new promise that comes along with spring, I love looking through my window each morning to check the progress of my flowering cherry tree which in a few weeks will bust into life in a mass of scented white blossom, or walking around my garden to see what plants have started to bud and what new bulbs have sprung up from the gown to reveal their cheerfully coloured flowers.

Nature is a great inspiration for all us designers at Harriet Kelsall Jewellery Design, and Spring in particular gives a lot to fuel our jewellery design creativity; If you fancy bringing a little spring like cheer to someone special or would just like to treat yourself, here are three spring inspired engagement rings currently in our ready to wear engagement rings collection, which I think sum up the season best!

Harriet's daffodil engagement ring.

Lily of the Valley eternity or wedding ring.

Beautiful tulip engagement ring.

With one of these engagement rings on your finger you will always have some spring cheer the whole year though.

It is Mother's day on the 22nd March so for gift ideas see our Purple Label Mother's Day Jewellery ideas and here are a few suggestions for places you can visit with your Mum that look particularly good in Spring:

• A great place I love to go to see snow drops is Audley End in Essex: walk behind the house and up the hill keeping to the outer edge, and you cannot miss the carpet of white that awaits you.
• Another place I think is well worth a visit for spring bulbs is Eltham Palace in London, they planted up the dry moat around the house which looks fantastic. Also go back later in the year and you will get to see the stunning wisteria growing over the arbour which is simply beautiful!
• For Daffodils it got to be the Lake District where their abundance inspired Wordsworth, or 'The Daffodil Way' in the Leadon Valley, on the border of Gloucestershire and Herefordshire.

I hope you all enjoy this spring

Bye for now Antoinette

A little while ago I was asked to speak about ethics in jewellery at one of the meetings of the Stevenage Fairtrade Steering Group, and it finally happened last night. What a lovely group of people! The Steering Group was convened to promote Fairtrade products in the area, bringing them to wider public attention and encouraging local businesses to buy and sell them. Stevenage has been working towards Fairtrade Town status; in fact the application went in yesterday and is expected to be granted in the near future.

I've got to admit I was terrified (as I've not had to give a formal presentation to a group in a very long time) but the response to what I had to say was really lovely - people really seemed interested in the state of the jewellery industry at the moment and what we as a company and organizations like the Responsible Jewellery Council are trying to do to improve matters. It was so exciting to be talking to people already involved in Fairtrade issues about exactly what it is we’re doing.

Anyway, I’ve had two lovely e-mails this morning from people who were there including the following, which makes me rather proud:

'What a pleasure to see a company sincerely considering and acting to promote the creation of Fair Trade jewellery materials. Harriet Kelsall Jewellery Design are working at the cutting edge of Fair Trade design and we applaud their exciting ethical policy development' - Jasmin Julia Gupta - Stevenage Fair Trade Steering Group.

More information about the Steering Group can be found through the Stevenage Borough Council's website.

By the way - one of the things that came up in the meeting was that Cadbury's Dairy Milk is going to be Fairtrade as of autumn this year. How exciting!! A main stream chocolate brand that everyone knows and loves is going Fairtrade!! I know the girls here will be delighted… see their press release.

If you want to know more about ethical jewellery, take a look at our website's ethical jewellery section.

Hi All,

Working in the profession we do, we get to meet so many lovely people and hear some really wonderful and romantic stories of how people met and their proposals. Its great to find out what actually happens to our bespoke engagement and wedding rings.

I have just designed a diamond set loop style bespoke wedding ring for a lovely couple Jason and Emily, which our workshop is now hand making. Jason is a returning customer; he originally came to us with an engagement ring design he had come up with for Emily, and with the help and guidance of one of our designers Rebecca and the craftsmanship of Ryan, Jason's stunning and unique design was brought to life. When Emily and Jason came back for an appointment with me to discuss the wedding rings, I found out how Jason proposed which is a really romantic story and something a little different too. Emily and Jason have kindly let me share it with you – get ready to go aahhhhhhh!!!!

'For the proposal I took Emily away in my small single engine aircraft from our home in Exeter to Goodwood airfield near Chichester. Two days before I spent 10 hours making my proposal message out of large sheets of wood which I painted her favourite colour pink to simply read 'Emily marry me?'. The message was covered with plastic sheet to protect from the poor weather at the time. On 29th May 2008 I flew over the message enroute which I had placed along the runway at Dunkeswell airfield near Honiton. I presented the engagement ring to her in the air as we flew over the message. I commissioned Harriet Kelsall Jewellery Design in Hertfordshire to make the ring from my drawings and model that I supplied them. The ring took 4.5 months to complete and everything about the design symbolises my love for her.

After landing at Goodwood Airfield we went to our final destination, Amberley Castle near Arundel, a picturesque 14th century castle, with a twin tower gatehouse and fully operational portcullis that is closed every night and opened each morning. Our luxurious, most romantic room had Emily's favourite pink Champagne and flowers awaiting her on arrival. From our room we had a secret door to exit our room and up an old stone staircase onto the original battlements and walk along them to enjoy the romantic view over the castle gardens and watch the portcullis being lowered just before midnight.

Early the next morning I took delivery of a Ferrari 360 spider (her dream car) that I hired to take her out for the day to the Zoo as this is her favourite place of all to visit, she absolutely adores animals, especially big cats and monkeys!

For our evening meal after the Zoo I had reserved the Mistletoe Lodge, a romantic, magical thatched tree house, reached by a rope bridge and walk way situated inside the Castle perimeter in a large old oak tree, just for the two of us to enjoy fine dining alone, without any disturbance to enjoy the stunning views of the surrounding gardens, lakes and castle.'

Did you go aahhhhhh?

Anyone thinking of proposing I hope this has given you some ideas!

Bye for now

Antoinette