Item: Lapel Pin
Occasion: Christmas gift
Materials: Silver with 9ct bezel set with diamond
Brief: To create a unique gift for a gentleman (T) with a passion for mending timepieces
The thing I love about creating bespoke jewellery is its ability to be as individual as the wearer. This piece was designed as a gift for a gentleman who loves to mend clocks and watches. My customer knew her friend wouldn’t choose to wear a necklace, bracelet or ring, so wanted an alternative option. We settled on a lapel pin as this would best suit the type of clothes he usually wears.
As we were working to a set budget, but wanted to include one stone setting, we discussed the different options available. T’s birthstone is diamond, and my customer was keen to incorporate this. Because of this, she chose sterling silver for the main part of the pin to keep costs down. But for added impact, wanted to include a small amount of 9ct for the diamond’s bezel setting.
For the design, I worked on the theme of cogs and looked at different styles using in watches and clocks. I then came up with several ideas to share and discuss with my customer. Once she was happy with the final design, I got to work…
The cogs were pierced from 0.5mm silver sheet, which I added a sparked finish texture to. Once the cogs were soldered together, I added a lapel style tension bar to the reverse side. With the final stage being setting the 4mm diamond in a 9ct bezel setting.
My customer was really pleased with the finished piece and excited to give it to her friend. She said, “it’s so lovely to be able to give him something I know he’ll love; I would never have been able to find something like this in the shops.” That’s exactly what Woo by Design is all about, so that’s the perfect response!