Meet the Founder of Edwina Elkington Jewellery

I launched Edwina Elkington Jewellery in September 2019, it’s coming up to my one-year anniversary which is very exciting.

I have always been passionate about Diamonds and Gemstones. I studied Gemmology and become a diamond grader at the Gemmological Association of Great Britain whilst working for a total of six years for two influential independent London based Jewellery brands.

It was being surrounded by Jewellery every day that really inspired me and drove me to want to create my own designs.

I am a bespoke fine Jewellery designer, so it is my job to listen to what my clients would like and convert their ideas into exceptional handmade pieces. I would describe my jewellery’s signature style as classical, with a modern twist.

I’m often inspired by antiques as I feel they have such a romance to them. I also love researching the Queen's collection of jewellery, from the crown jewels to her tiaras, brooches, rings and necklaces. She has one of the most extensive and impressive jewellery collections in the world, each piece as jaw-dropping as the next.

The process begins with a simple conversation, I try and find out as much about the recipient of the item of Jewellery as possible, gemstone preferences, metal colour, what they are like in their day to day life, i.e are they particularly active etc.

Armed with this knowledge, I can guide my client into creating a piece of jewellery that will not only be loved but will also be practical and able to withstand day to day wear. 

I then meet my clients at a location convenient to them, either at one of my four London based destinations or at their home or office. I present a selection of hand drawn designs (to scale) along with gemstones or diamond options.

Upon confirmation of preferred design and gemstones the piece of jewellery is then handmade in London using traditional methods.

As the piece of jewellery is created, I document the process so my client can show their loved one at the end. It’s my aim to make the process really memorable and special.

I redesigned an engagement ring for a client’s 25th wedding anniversary and the transformation was incredible. The design had an Art Deco influence, I added tapered baguettes at each corner for extra drama and the basket (underneath) was made up of hand carved petals. It was truly spectacular.

Apart from mine 😉 I don’t have a favourite. Each story I hear is incredibly special, however I have had a couple of clients propose in Africa which sounded very romantic.

I have had a couple of clients who have designed the engagement ring together, which is very special as girls do love to be involved in the creative process. However, I would say the majority of my clients design the ring before they propose.

The design process can take anything from a couple of days to a month, it can really vary depending on how many edits are made to the design and how many options of gemstones the client would like to see.

Once the design and gemstone have been confirmed, I would usually quote between four to six weeks for the final ring to be completed, however I can accommodate deadlines and I have created a ring within ten days before

As you can imagine planning our wedding for December 2020 hasn’t been the easiest, every time you make a plan the government throws another curve ball at you. However, I have an expert wedding planner, Anna Wills founder of ARC Events, who has made everything as seamless and un-stressful as possible. Not only has she become a certified ‘Safer Event Organizer’ enabling her to carry on within these times, but she is also the preferred wedding planner for world renowned venues such as the National Gallery and Royal Academy of Art. We have designed the marquee with LPM Bohemia which I’m so in love with. Torr Dashwood founder of HOPP ‘House of Party Planning’ has also been incredibly helpful.

I have also loved designing my dresses. I’ve been a little extravagant as I’m having two designed by Eponine London, one for the day and one of the evening which has been created out of a vintage Japanese wedding kimono, the process has been amazing and I’m over the moon with them. And of course planning our wedding list!!!

We chose WPC for our wedding present list as you have such an incredible variety of pieces, and fantastic brands. Your team is also amazing, so friendly and so helpful, it makes the process so enjoyable. Being able to create the list online over lockdown was great, as it was one thing we could still do, regardless of the country’s circumstances.

Oka, Roberts Radio, Sophie Conran & Rosanna Lonsdale.

The Versilles dressing table created by antiqued mirror from Oka, I'm in love with it!