Bespoke Jewellery

Artefacts carry the full array of life experiences and personal messages.  From the Roman silver lettering that spells "VIVAT", 'Let him / her live' - a silent prayer in jewellery for a child - to the 4th century BC pure gold Greek pendants perfectly sculpted to resemble honeycomb - our artefact collection holds so much human thought, intention and symbolism.

Select an artefact from our collection and we will design for you, or source an authenticated artefact from our network of art dealers and collectors.

 

Case Study:

'Paris' cocktail ring commission (image above):  Medieval copper-alloy seal token, circa 1300 AD, set in an 18-carat gold and diamond cocktail ring.

The seal bears an image of the four-leaved plant Paris quadrifolia, known in medieval England as the 'truelove'.  The inscription around the edge reads "LEL AMI AVET", a seal insignia that translates directly as "You have a loyal friend".  

Dr Malcolm Jones notes: 'This inscription need to be understood in the context of the imagery and conventions of amour courtois or Courtly Love.  In this context "ami" means ‘love or lover,’ so the legend reads, “you have a faithful love”. 

The artefact was sourced specifically for this project.  The cone-shaped seal head had been cut off from the fob in the medieval period, likely to be given as a token of affection.  This created the perfect large 'gem' shape that we could set as the centrepiece of a ring that connected directly to a history of chivalry, passion and devotion.