Is British Made Diamond Jewellery Better?

April 11 2022

If you’re British, there are a lot of good reasons to buy things that are made in Britain - like supporting home-grown businesses, boosting the economy, and helping the environment by buying products that don’t need to be flown halfway across the world. But in terms of what you’re actually buying does ‘British-made’ really mean ‘better’?

We think so, yes. In fact, we’re quite proud of the fact that our diamond jewellery is made in Britain. Here are just a few reasons why.

UK ASSAY ASSURED METALS

All metals used in jewellery are alloys - meaning other metals have been added to the precious metal to make it stronger. Pure gold, for example, is too soft to be used on its own, so it’s combined with other metals such as silver, copper, nickel, and zinc.

Obviously, you want to make sure your gold jewellery contains the correct amount of actual gold (that’s 75% - 18 parts gold, 6 parts alloy - for 18 karat gold) but it’s impossible to tell the precious metal content of your jewellery by sight alone, no matter how eagle-eyed you are.

We are an Assay Assured Jewellery Retailer - ALL our jewellery is checked to reassure you that it is what we say it is. The Assay Assured Jewellery Retailer trust mark you see on our website is our commitment that the metal in your jewellery will carry the legally-required independent hallmark verifying the precious metal content. This isn’t just a badge they hand out to everyone!

Unfortunately, jewellery bought or imported from many other parts of the world is not subject to such strict quality controls. And when you’re buying something as important and beautiful as a diamond engagement ring or wedding ring, you should know you’re getting the very best.

TRADITIONAL CRAFTSMANSHIP

If there’s one thing we’re guilty of bragging about, it’s that all our custom-made jewellery is handcrafted in the UK. There’s a reason for that. Hatton Garden in London and Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter have been the centre of the UK’s jewellery trade since medieval times (when you’d have to prove your worth in a jousting battle before you could even contemplate offering your lady a diamond ring).

Since then, the tradition of creating beautiful, quality jewellery has been handed down from craftsperson to craftsperson for hundreds of years. Some of the tools may have changed, but the attention to detail and level of skill have not. Each piece of jewellery is individually created, shaped, adjusted, polished and finished, by a highly trained artist who cares deeply about producing some of the finest jewellery in the world. They’re proud of what they do, and we are too.

It doesn’t matter whether you design your jewellery yourself from scratch or choose an existing design - your piece will be finished and polished for you by hand in the UK. That’s why you have to wait for it!

QUALITY YOU CAN TRUST

As well as being crafted in Great Britain, all our jewellery is sourced from British suppliers - all the metal, all the settings, even all the fiddly bits on the back of earrings. We only work with trusted, well-established suppliers to ensure quality throughout the chain.

Of course, the one thing we can’t source from Britain are diamonds - alas, we have yet to discover a diamond mine deep beneath the hallowed highways of the M42. However, we are committed to ethical sourcing of diamonds via the Kimberley Process, which ensures a safe and legal market for conflict-free diamonds. Plus, each diamond we sell has been independently certified by one of the world’s most respected labs - none of which are in Britain but, hey, you can’t have everything.

IN CONCLUSION

Regardless of how highly you rate British manufacturers, British suppliers or, dare I say it, Quality Diamonds, it’s still worth taking note of all the factors mentioned here when you’re buying expensive jewellery (online or otherwise). Quality is not something that just happens. It’s the result of maintaining extremely high standards at every stage, from the raw materials to the finished product, and that’s something you’ll want to guarantee in any jewellery you buy.

To ensure you’re buying the best quality diamond jewellery possible, you should at the very least be able to confirm that:

• all components are legally and ethically sourced
• materials can be traced through the supply chain
• the precious metal content is of the claimed standard (i.e. hallmarked)
• the jewellery is crafted by hand (and, if possible, created to order especially for you)
• any diamonds are fully certified by an independent gemmology laboratory

And if it’s made in Great Britain too - that’s even better!

If you wish to learn more about our Bespoke services, click here.

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