We’ve taken a break from the blog for the time being, while we concentrate on making beautiful jewellery. We hope to get back to writing again soon but in the meantime, we hope you enjoy our back catalogue.
Well hello, welcome back to the Varoshe blog! After five months off from writing these monthly posts, I thought it was time to get back to it, and this month I am going behind the scenes of making a jewellery collection…
We offer a free jewellery cleaning service here at Varoshe. We have an ultrasonic machine which will literally shake off the dirt, returning the sparkle to your most precious gems, but how can you clean your jewellery at home if you can’t get in to see us?
Nowadays there are so many choices when it comes to wedding rings, that it’s hard to know where to start and it can become a daunting task. To take some of the stress out of it, I have answered six of the most commonly asked questions to help you in your quest to find the perfect wedding ring…
As I am sure you know by now, we love to showcase the work of other independent jewellers here at Varoshe. Each designer has their own story of how they started their career, what they love to design and how they work. Each journey is unique and is poured in to every piece that they make. This month I would like to share one of these stories with you...
Storytelling is always at the forefront of what we do. Whether it is the memories and sentiment that we help our customers to pour in to their jewellery commissions, or simply the journey of a piece as it's made, all jewellery has a story to tell. This month I thought I would share one of these stories with you...
At Varoshe we love to showcase unusual jewellery with a story. Behind each collection on display there is an independent maker or small business whose story becomes part of their jewellery; from the initial ideas and inspiration to the final collection that you see on display. Each journey is unique and this month I would like to share another one of these stories with you...
Congratulations! You are ready to take the next step in your relationship, how very exciting! I suppose it is only right that you ‘pop’ the question with a ring then? But what to choose?
Sometimes you will know exactly what your partner would like, down to the last detail, but what if you don’t know, if you don’t have the foggiest idea…
At Varoshe we love to showcase unusual jewellery. As well as our own work, we display collections made by other independent jewellers who all have their own stories of how they started their career, what they love to design and how they work. Each journey is unique and is poured in to every piece that they make. This month I would like to share one of these stories with you... MONIQUE JEFFREY-JONES
“I always think of pearls as something my Nan would wear”, said a customer last week. She then went on to choose a pair of (you guessed it) pearl earrings! The fact is that pearls are no longer just that classic necklace that everyone has seen in the period dramas on the BBC. Nowadays they are being used in much more contemporary designs and the colours and shapes which once were seen as less desirable are now taking centre stage…
I have heard the same sort of sentence a few times recently; “I love that, but I only wear silver” or “I was given a silver necklace which I love but I can’t wear it because it won’t go with all my gold jewellery”. It got me thinking, firstly, who says you can’t mix and match metals, and secondly, why restrict yourself to what you can and can’t like…
Jewellery is often bought or commissioned to mark life’s happy milestones; a wedding, a birthday or an anniversary, but what about those moments that are not so happy, the difficult times in our lives which define who we are…
Every February a special event is held at the Goldsmiths’ Hall in London, which is noted in the diary of every jeweller and metalsmith: The Goldsmiths’ Craftsmanship & Design Awards. These prestigious awards are also called “The Jewellery Oscars” within the trade and are a celebration of all things metal; from the design to the finish piece, and all the processes in between...
I have always been fascinated by the hallmarks on jewellery and silverware, often looking them up to see how old something is. When we registered our own mark, it was a lovely feeling, as we joined the Register of Makers which spans back centuries. Every time we have something hallmarked I feel really proud that our little mark will be on that piece of jewellery forever, signifying that it was made by Varoshe long after we are all gone…
2019; how did that happen?! If you’re anything like me you still think of the millennium as only a few years ago, so it doesn’t quite compute that we are only a year away from the (roaring) twenty-twenties…
I am often asked if we make everything that is on display in our showroom. I guess it is an obvious question, but my answer is always the same, “No, but let me tell you why…
This is a question we often get asked, and I know it can be daunting for some people…
~ How will you know what I want?
~ How much will it cost?
~ What will I end up with?
Don’t worry, we are here to help guide you through the whole process (and we’re really nice, honest)…
I have had a few customers in the shop this month asking about valuations. It is such a minefield that I thought I would write a little about it to try and help those of you who may be confused…
So you’re getting married? Congratulations! Now it’s time to start planning; the venue, the food, the music, the rings… ”oh the rings, what do we choose?! There are so many options out there and we don’t want the same as everyone else…
So it’s that time of year again, when all of the graduates from all of the art schools in the UK exhibit their degree shows at the renowned New Designers Exhibition…
As we are fast approaching the summer and starting to move away from those drab, grey, winter months (once the thunderstorms are out of the way), we can finally start getting those summer palettes out of the wardrobe, and what better way to accessorise that summer outfit than with a gorgeous gemstone…
Before I started to write this month’s blog, I re-read April’s post for some inspiration. In the last paragraph, I had written, “I can’t wait to be sitting in my shop, at my desk, looking around at all the cabinets and showcases. It will be a dream come true…”, and that is exactly what I am doing, because Varoshe ~ bespoke jewellery is now open…
Well how did that happen?! April, already! So I guess that means that the opening is this month...
I can't quite believe it, after over three years we will be finally opening our doors. I am not sure it will feel real until I am sitting behind my desk and the excitement of the opening has died down. The last few years have been filled with planning, organising and researching, I am not sure what I will do with myself after the 21st…
Rob contacted me in July 2017, asking to discuss the possibility of having an engagement ring made for his girlfriend, Valerie. We arranged a consultation and chatted over a coffee about what he wanted and what he thought Valerie might like…
The jewellery that we wear every day can take a bit of a battering. We tend not to think about what we put it through; it’s made of metal and it will last forever, right? Unfortunately this is not the case. Jewellery, like all things, needs to be looked after and cared for, and certain pieces will need to be looked after more than others…
What a busy year 2017 has been, and I know I am not alone in saying that the last twelve months have just flown by! As we are now at the start of 2018 (which I know will be one of the most amazing, terrifying and exciting years of my life) I thought I would look back over 2017 to see how far we have come in the journey of building our business…
When someone asks what I do for a living, and I reveal that I am a jewellery designer, I generally get one of two reactions;
1) “Oh, wow! I would love to do something creative like that. I’m just not artistic at all! It must be such a glamourous lifestyle, tell me more…”
2) “That’s nice.” [End of conversation.]…
I am an emotional person. I always cry at sad films, I over think everything, and the most important thing in my life is my family (in which I include my closest friends). I will find the emotional connection in anything (I will often refer to an object as a ‘him’ rather than an ‘it'), and I think jewellery is the epitome of an emotional purchase…
Jewellery terms can be like a foreign language. Sometimes it can be hard to follow what a designer or maker is saying. In order for you to understand what on earth we are going on about, here is a list of a few of the more common terms...
This is a question that I get asked a lot! It is an unusual word, and something that has no obvious meaning, so I thought I would explain...
Hi there and thank you for checking in.
Well, this is a bit new! Apart from being the first Varoshe blog post, it is actually my first blog post FULLSTOP. It just goes to show that you really can learn something new every day…
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