Turning Your Old Jewelry Into Something New
Stuart Stanley in Brighton, England.
I am originally from Essex, but I now live in Brighton on the South coast of England.
What do you like most about Brighton?
What is amazing about Brighton is all the independent businesses. Most towns & cities in the UK are full of large chain stores, but in Brighton we have two shopping areas called The Lanes & The North Laine. Both of which are packed with amazing independent stores.
Brighton is also famous for its Festival in May. This is where residents hold ‘Open House’ events turning their homes into art galleries. All across the city there are comedy, music & theatrical shows. Even this cosmopolitan city that is always lively finds another gear in May!
What’s your backstory?
Whilst working at other more traditional jewellery stores, I found bespoke jewellery at other shops was either very expensive due to all the ‘middlemen’ involved or not truly bespoke.
Many jewellers claim to make bespoke wedding rings when really behind the scenes it is just a supplier with limited options. I wanted to start a jewellery business that offered truly custom jewellery at an affordable price.
What are your income streams?
We are mainly brick & mortar.
We have an amazing website but it is mainly used to spark ideas for clients. After browsing, we create bespoke jewellery designs & quotes for individual customers. People love this & it makes a pleasant change from the usual click & buy e-commerce websites.
We take on lots of bespoke commissions remotely via email conversations. Other clients send a few emails & then like to visit the shop in person.
How have you attracted new customers?
One of the ways we increased our appeal was the introduction of our jewellery remodelling service. This is where we take precious metal & gemstones from inherited or broken jewellery & repurpose them into stunning new designs. This service has proved incredibly popular.
What is your favorite product?
I love one of our engagement ring designs called ‘Tierra’ – probably the world's most environmentally friendly engagement ring. You can find out more here: http://bit.ly/4lgq1IM
If you could go back, would you do anything differently?
I would get a bookkeeper that knows what they are doing!
In the early days I seemed to do all the hard stuff well (stocking the right designs, employing great staff etc) but I relied on several ‘a friend of a friend’ people when it came to my accounts. This went horribly wrong & when I finally employed a decent bookkeeper & accountant it was a massive weight off my mind.
What are your goals?
I would like to just increase the amount of commissions by employing more workshop staff & by advertising our services further. This way we are sticking to what we do best rather than trying to diversify & compromise our existing services.
What tool do you use?
One of my favourite tools is an app called ‘Procreate’. It is like photoshop but far easier to use & my whole team uses it on our iPads. It enables us to create realistic, on the spot digital mock-ups of customer designs.
Do you have a favorite podcast?
I listen to the following podcasts:
Smartless
There’s no such thing as a fish
99% Invisible
The Louis Theroux podcast
Where can we find you online?
https://www.ringjewellery.co.uk
