Category: Blog

Welcome to the July edition of the Park Road Jewellery newsletter!

The workshop is on full steam ahead mode with commissions, which is so exciting, I cannot wait to share with you the latest one of a kind makes, once they have been gifted.
It is really interesting to see how my making time has changed over the last crazy year. Now 90% of my time is spent on one of a kind pieces, compared to previous years, when at this time I would usually be releasing new ranges of jewellery that I have designed. I’m hoping that instead I will have this done by the Autumn. Meanwhile it is so thrilling to be involved in clients special projects such as engagement rings and anniversary projects. Watch this space for the future reveals!

New from the workshop

Luckily there is one recent bespoke project that I can share, that is completed. Below is a Sterling Silver gents Cuff bangle.

As is typical with cuffs they experience a lot of wear and tear through the centre of the piece, due to the opening and closing movement when putting it on your wrist. This cuff had completely broken in two pieces and unfortunately in transit through the postal service to my workshop, the parcel was ripped and one side of the cuff was lost.

I had one piece to work with and a photograph of part of the other side. So to complete the piece I discussed with the client the other Navajo symbols he wanted on the replacement side and began making!

The piece is made from two layers, the top layer with the symbols that have been cut out by hand and then welded onto the base layer, which was then oxidised black to make the symbols stand out.
The client was really pleased with the result and I was so happy to be able to make the special piece of jewellery wearable again.

New tools in action

Recycling your unworn jewellery

Transform it into your dream piece of jewellery by recycling the gold into something completely new!

At Park Road Jewellery I can take your ideas, or we can design something together and reuse your current unworn jewellery.

Email me today to discuss your dream jewellery!

The Jewellery Spotlight,

Lightning Bolt Earrings                                                                                                                             Polished Oval bangle
A cute addition to a summer outfit,                                                                                              Perfect for stacking against other

also available as studs                                                                                                                 bracelets or a showstopper all by itself

Peridot Oak Leaves                                                                                                                                               Garnet Necklace
Inspired by the gorgeous Oak tree with                                                                                Fiery Garnet works beautifully with Silver and warm

its fresh green coloured leaves                                                                                                                        summery colours

Thank you so much for reading July’s edition of the newsletter, I hope you have enjoyed it and learnt more about the workshop.
I am always here at the end of an email or telephone, so don’t hesitate to contact me for any jewellery needs.
Take care!

Hello everyone,
and a huge hello to some beautiful sunshine finally!

There is certainly a more positive feel in the air, now shops and venues are reopening their doors and summer has decided to arrive. I hope you are enjoying yourselves and had a wonderful bank holiday.
I actually made myself have a break this bank holiday, as I would usually just treat it as a regular day in the workshop. I cannot wait to show you all what I have been up to!

New to the workshop

These past few weeks have certainly seen some new additions to the workshop and it all seems to have come at once! Lots of new tools that will allow me to produce new designs and expand on what services I can offer. A huge step for the Park Road Jewellery workshop, but I am really looking forward to trying them out.
First up is…

A Rolling Mill!

A Rolling Mill is one of THE most expensive items a jeweller will buy for their workshop. You cant really live without one.
A rolling mill helps you to forge down your metals and wire. You can make sheet thinner, you can shape wire and draw it down from a large block or billet of metal, and you can also create a whole host of textures and finishes.

I currently have a very small mill that has been so helpful, but it is very limited on how thick the metal is that you can work with. This new beasty is HUGE!

Now she may not be the prettiest bit of kit going, but as I mentioned, a new mill does not come cheap, and second hand ones are snapped up extremely quickly. I have been on the hunt for a large second hand mill for over 2 years, so I feel incredibly lucky that I managed to scoop this one up! She just needs a bit of TLC and she’ll be put back to work again!

Next up …

Casting equipment!

The items you see here are used in the casting process.

The tool on the left is a Crucible. This is a high temperature ceramic dish that you actually melt the metal in. When the metal is molten there is a small pouring spout to carefully tip your metal out into your mould or ingot.

The pieces on the right are the steel mould casing and the sand for casting. It is actually called Delft Clay, and it is a really dense fine powder/paste. The mould halves are filled with the sand and then you can create an impression with any object inside of it. The sand picks up such fine details, you can create impressions of leaves, twigs and any 3d form. it is really fantastic!

What this means

Including these new tools in the workshop, allows me to produce so much more! I will be able to take on much more work for recycling precious metals and remaking them into new pieces.
It will also allow me to expand upon my ‘Nature’ themes by casting natural objects and using their stunning textures in new ranges.

Watch this space!

Bespoke beauties

Hot from the workbench! This stunning ring is a recent bespoke commission, using the clients existing diamond 18ct yellow gold ring.
The original ring was very slimline and dainty in design, with the three gorgeous diamonds sitting very high off the finger in claw settings.

I carefully removed the diamonds and melted down the original shank with some new 18ct yellow gold to transform it into a more chunky minimalist ring, which is much more the clients style.
The diamonds are then ‘Rub Set’ into the actual band itself rather then sitting high. This made for a really stylish and smooth look.
The client loved it, what do you think?

Thinking about your own project?

Contact Michelle today to discuss recycling some of your unworn jewellery into something completely new! Breathe new life into unworn items and make them into future heirlooms.

Summer vibes

Thank you so much for reading this months newsletter and your continued support for my one woman business!

A warm welcome to the
May newsletter!

I hope you are keeping well and enjoying the emergence of spring with all the beautiful flowers that are blooming. I have been inspired by all the gorgeous cherry blossoms in the surrounding fields, and our first bluebells are opening in the garden. I was thinking of developing a ‘Blossom’ range of jewellery, a minimalist set of hoops and circles crowned with petite blooms.
What do you think?

Sterling Silver square wire with detailed little blossoms, perhaps with the addition of 9ct yellow gold petals?

News from the workshop

I am now settling in to my shiny new working environment after completely refurbishing and making a totally new working space last month.
I am excited to announce that my ‘Love the Collection’ is now stocked in another shop, this time in Oban in Scotland. The gorgeous shop is called Orsay, and specialises in highlighting handmade gifts and pieces inspired by nature. I’m looking forward to continuing to work with them!

Recent bespoke projects

Bespoke pieces are my favourite to make!

I get to work closely with the client and the finished result is something truly one of a kind that no one else will own. I can finally share these recent Bespoke Mountain projects with you, that I made earlier in the year!

The below piece is one of my recent favourites, although I cant really have favourites as I love them all! This is a bespoke mountain pendant but in a heart shape rather then the usual circle and it contains the ‘Three Sisters’ mountains of Glen Coe, which are really important to the client. It was so exciting to make something so special and unusual, such a treasured gift.

Did you know, you can also personalise my stock items?

The above are both Scafell Pike pendants but with additions that are special and unique to the client.

The pendant on the left has the addition of a stunning Japanese Akoya pearl to represent the moon. I think it is a gorgeous piece to add.

The pendant on the right has the giftees initials hand engraved inside in a stunning script font. Truly one of a kind!

If you have been thinking of what to buy for a special occasion, but not wanting to go down the completely bespoke avenue, why not email me to see what we can do to personalise a piece of jewellery for you.

Thank you so much for reading this months newsletter, I hope you have enjoyed it!
Feel free to email me or follow on social media.

Hello and welcome to the April edition of the newsletter.

Well, I hope you have all been as lucky with the weather as I have been this last few days! It has been a glorious introduction to spring time.
With local lockdowns lifting and Easter just around the corner, there is a lot more positivity in the air and, fingers crossed, a lovely summer to look forward to.

News from the workshop

It has been a very different few weeks for me in the workshop. I have used this down time to completely redesign and reconstruct the workshop.
Since moving in, in a complete manic rush in October, the workshop hasn’t really been set up in the most practical and ideal way. I just needed it to function and to get some work done ahead of the Christmas rush!

I have been spending the last month, drawing out ergonomic working situations, storage areas and streamlining my office processes. It has been a big learning curve, and I have learned loads of new DIY skills that’s for sure! It is 99% ready and I would love to give my VIPs the first sneak peak behind the scenes, so here we go!

New pendant in the Icons range!

I am really excited to announce the Scafell Pike pendant is now a permeant piece in the Icons collection!

The Icons collection consists as a tribute to those Iconic mountain peaks of the world, Everest, Kilimanjaro, not forgetting our beautiful UK Peaks, Snowdon and Ben Nevis. Scafell Pike now completes the UK selection.

Handmade from Sterling Silver, the pendant is a ring shape with the outline of the mountain encased inside. To top it off, the height in meters is embossed around the edge of the pendant.
I am so pleased to now include it for sale on the website.

Scafell Pike pendant

Above, you can see the side of the pendant, where the height of the mountain is embossed.

Mini workshop tour

I managed to source three of these large storage units.
There is so much back office ‘stuff’ that comes along with my jewellery business that needs to be kept clean, tidy and dust free, away from the mess of the workbench side.
These units house all of my packaging, giftboxes, paperwork, filing, photography equipment, props and exhibition fixtures. This means I can keep a space set up for photography all the time and I have space to do all my laptop work and BE ORGANISED, which I love.

This area is on the left hand side of me when I am working at the bench. They are little storage holders and containers that you can position and move around to hold all your tools.
This has totally revolutionised the way I work. When you are sat at the jewellery bench, you need all of your most used tools in quick easy reach, as you are constantly changing what type of file or shape of pliers that you are using for each particular part of the job.
I used to store these in a beautiful antique chest of drawers next to me in my old workshop. Although it looked great, I always ended up with a lap full of tools by the end of the day and in reality, Im not putting each file or pliers back after using it!
I can now sit like a busy Octopus, surrounded by my tools, with arms flying everywhere! Its perfect. And tidy!

Spring has sprung!
I hope that you have been enjoying these last few beautiful sunny days wherever you are. On my daily walks it has been wonderful to see the Daffodil and Crocus peeping through and displaying their bright colours.

This month we see;
8th – International Woman’s day
14th –  Mothers Day UK
17th – St Patrick’s Day
20th – OFFICIAL START OF SPRING!

With all the positive news we are all hearing from the government about lockdown lifting, combined with brighter days, I hope you have a bit of spring in your step.

I wanted to say a huge thank you for your orders throughout February! It was even my pleasure to be able to hand deliver some of them, your support for local and handmade business blows me away!
It is usually a quieter month for me, where I put together my plans and development together for the year. So it was a real boost to be kept even busier!
If I have learnt ANYTHING from last year, it is that best laid plans and goals can soon be whipped out from under you and can be totally out of your control. It has certainly led to me being much more open and adaptable with my business and to certainly appreciate the little things and wins!

Mothers Day Gift Guide

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 Workshop news

On the workbench are some really exciting projects I am working on, but I still cannot share them with you until they are finished and have been gifted!
I am planning a complete overhaul of the workshop as it hasn’t really received any love or attention since moving in! I am lucky to have so much more space then my last studio, I really need to make the most of it.
In the works are;
-A proper office space
-Dedicated photography area. So I don’t have to put off taking pictures!
-Extending the workbench to include two seating areas.
This is something I am really excited about!
When more normality resumes I would love to offer up space and time to teaching and bringing in experience days to learn to make your own jewellery. And most exciting- a make your own wedding bands workshop! Lots to work on and to learn about, building cupboards and work spaces! Watch this space, I cannot wait to share it with you.

Thank you so much for reading and your continued support!

Hello and welcome to 2021!

Welcome back to the Park Road newsletter, I hope you are doing ok?

As you may have noticed, this is my first newsletter of the year, and it is in February! (Apologies for that!)
January felt like 10 years long, but also completely flew past me at the same time in the workshop! I feel incredibly lucky to have been kept really busy with enquires all throughout Jan, which is a month when I usually hibernate and attempt to recover from the madness of the festive gifting season. So this means I am still slightly out of sorts catching up with life!

Here are some of the projects I have been up to recently.

There have been lots of enquiries regarding the Bespoke Mountain Pendants that I specialise in, however they are all in progress, so I cannot show you just yet! I am excited to get stuck in making them, and passing them on to their forever homes.
You can learn more about them by visiting the link below.

Bespoke Mountain Pendant

‘Love the Mountains’ Stud earrings in solid 9ct yellow gold.

It is always a pleasure to work in yellow gold, so I was really excited when I received an order for these. Yellow gold feels beautiful to work with and is much more forgiving to polish then Sterling silver!

Love the Mountains Earrings

This was a wonderful bespoke project – to make a sterling silver bangle and ring that had the same width and profile, so they looked like a set when worn.
They finished at 4mm wide and have a smooth ‘Court’ shape profile which is rounded on the inside and outside. It feels beautiful to wear, and is really comfortable. This set is made to last and the owner will be able to enjoy wearing them for many years to come.
I always say ‘Simple is best‘ – simple designs always last the test of time.
Polished Oval Bangle

This special bespoke project is a Sterling Silver Lotus with a beautiful Garnet gemstone. It is completely handcrafted. Each petal segment is made in two halves and shaped with pliers until they look and fit just right. There are many hours of labour totalled up to make this, but I think it is truly worth it! A stunning one of a kind piece.

Bespoke Park Road Jewellery

Do you have a design you would like made into a piece of jewellery? 

Whether it is a necklace, ring, or transforming heirloom jewellery into something new, get in touch today!

I will work through the entire design process with you including sketches and/or computer rendered images. Have your unused jewellery melted down and reformed into a fresh modern statement piece.

info@parkroadjewellery.com

I can’t have a February newsletter without mentioning… Valentines Day!

There are over 100 pieces of handcrafted precious jewellery available on my website to gift for Valentines Day, or why not gift yourself something?
Here is a small selection below;

I am so excited to grow and build my business throughout 2021, I will keep you up to date with all that is going on in the workshop!
Take care, and I hope you have a lovely February.

Good morning all, and welcome to the
November edition of the newsletter!

I am going to start by stating the obvious – I hope you are all ok?
Wherever in the world you are reading this and whatever ‘Tier’ of Lockdown you are in, I am still here for you!

Now Halloween has been enjoyed, I can officially start mentioning Christmas more right? I usually don’t talk about it much or put decorations up until after my birthday, which is mid November, but this year hasn’t exactly been usual has it!

I know that gifting this Christmas is going to be more of a challenge, so as a valued supporter of my business, I wanted to be able to help make life just a little easier. Here are my pledges to you this year;

As always, I am going to ensure I react quickly to online orders. Orders placed before 15:00 GMT will be dispatched the same business day, if the item is in stock.
There will be an updated ‘Delivery Times’ banner on the very top of my website, so you can see at all times, the expected delivery times, to your destination.
I will also be continuing to use Royal Mails secure ‘Tracked and Signed for’ service, so we can keep an eye on just where our parcels are!

I have some brand new luxury gift boxes for larger items such as necklaces and bangles.
They feature a gold satin handtied ribbon.

For smaller items such as earrings and little pendants, I have a more petite version of this box, still with its gorgeous gold branding.

To keep inline with my sustainable ethos- all packaging is sourced from recycled materials, and they can also be recycled again once you have finished with them.

To complete the gifting experience, this year I am providing a
luxury gift wrapping service!
This service consists of;
-A Park Road Jewellery branded gift box.
-Luxurious, heavyweight gold wrapping paper which can be recycled
-Hand tied with a satin ruby red ribbon
-The beautiful parcel will be finished off with a festive floral adornment.
-Your gift wrapped parcel will then be protected by tissue paper before being packaged up, ready for delivery. The parcel arrives ‘Gift ready’ so you can send directly to your giftee if needed.

This is a great option to save time, simply add your giftees address for the dispatch address at the checkout. You can always email me to check, as well!

If you have any specific requirements, please email info@parkroadjewellery.com

VIRTUAL VIEWINGS

My final offer is something I am really excited to provide, Virtual Viewings!

I know that buying online is not that same as being able to physically touch and hold the jewellery in person. To make the buying process that much nicer and more personal I am going to provide access via Zoom or Whatsapp services.

This will allow you to see how the jewellery looks when it is worn or handled, and you can also compare a few pieces at one time, whilst looking at them next to each other, to ensure you are happy with your chosen piece.

How do I arrange a virtual viewing?
I want this process to be as simple and enjoyable as possible. So all you will need to do, is to email me requesting a Virtual Viewing, then we can arrange a time and date to suit you.
I will email you a link to our arranged meeting time, then I can introduce you to the pieces of jewellery you would like to see.
Once you have decided, all you need to do then is to purchase the items you liked through the website as normal!

What do you think?

Thank you so much for reading this November issue of the newsletter,

I hope you have enjoyed it!
Take care, and I hope that i can get to see you after lockdown, or virtually during it!
Warmest wishes,

Good afternoon all and welcome to the
October edition of the Spotlight!

I hope you are doing well and enjoying the arrival of Autumn.

This past month, well actually few months, have been just chaotic in the Park Road Jewellery camp. We have been trying to sell our house in the midst of the covid chaos, which has meant keeping it in showroom levels of cleanliness and doing virtual and socially distanced in person viewings my self!
So I apologise as this edition will be slightly brief!

The great news is – We have now moved in! As of Monday evening Park Road Jewellery has now relocated. I am now based in a larger and most importantly, an inside studio space, rather than the outside workshop I have been used to over the last few years.
I am so excited to see the business expand and what the future may bring.

In amongst the craziness of the the last few months, we completely forgot to celebrate Park Road Jewellery’s Birthday!
I cannot believe another year has passed since that first night I stepped into my freshly kitted out workshop. I sat down and created my first ever necklace for the ‘Peak Jewellery’ range and it has completely changed my life.
We have now celebrated our 4th year trading, creating jewellery full time as a one woman business and the end of the year will be our 5th Christmas!
A new workshop is quite the present, I cannot quite take it all in yet! I will be spending this week sorting and organising and im trying to be strict and want to be back at the bench for Monday morning!

I will post photos as soon as i am set up and back working again!

Brand New!

I have finally managed to get some nice images of the finished gemstone pieces from last months Jewellery Spotlight. All items are now uploaded to the website and available to purchase. They are all completely one of a kind pieces and totally handmade with love.
I hope you like them!

Peridot Oak Multi strand Necklace
This multi strand necklace is really versatile to wear and is very tactile. The layers add a really eye catching design, completed by three beautiful graduated peridot gemstones.

Tanzanite Cascade Earrings

The Tanzanite Cascade Earrings are comprised of six stunning marquise shaped Tanzanite gemstones. The gemstones have been lovingly handset into luxurious sterling silver ‘rub over’ style settings. The clean lines and minimalist design gives the piece a modern look, a compliment to a casual or formal outfit.

Thank you so much for reading and your continued support of my handmade business!
Once we are settled in I promise there will be more content and more jewellery!
Take care