2023 marks 15 years since W&W Jewellery created its first ever piece of bespoke jewellery. During that time the business has weathered many storms, from recession to the recent pandemic. We truly believe W&W’s success is testament to our team’s talent but also our unwavering commitment to ensuring an incredible customer experience.
Founders and third generation jewellers Simon and Richard Warrender have jewellery in their blood and an innate understanding of beauty and balance. This expertise has been demonstrated time and time again throughout the years, with W&W becoming renowned for exquisite creations that walk the delicate line between extraordinary and wearable.
In celebration of their anniversary, the brothers have taken a trip down memory lane….
Let’s kick off with your first ever commission, what did you create?
Simon
A school friend of mine reached out asking me to help him create an engagement ring – a round brilliant cut diamond set with tapered baguette shoulders. It was a nice way to start our new business with support from a close friend.
Richard
An old housemate got in touch and asked me to help with an engagement ring. We created an individual diamond single stone ring with spiral claws. Having introduced him to his now wife back when we shared a house, it was really special to be responsible for their engagement ring too and very good of him to support our fledgling business.
What has been your biggest achievement so far?
Simon
I am incredibly proud of starting a business from scratch and growing it to the level it is at today. My brother and I did everything ourselves and within two years of starting up, W&W was a fully-fledged business. Around that time, we were also able to take on our first interns and in 2011 we hired our first employee who looked after admin and marketing. 2016 was the first time we employed someone to help us develop the design side of the business.
We have also overcome many global economic challenges during the past 15 years, from the credit crunch through to the more recent coronavirus pandemic which we navigated our way through. I think that is definitely something to be proud of.
Richard
Staying on speaking terms with my brother!
I am most proud of the last piece a client collected – we invest a lot of time and creativity into each bespoke commission so the pride I take in each piece is a real achievement. To have a growing business that delivers on its promise is great.
What’s your favourite part of the job?
Simon
Definitely the contact with clients. The process starting from the very first appointment where we talk about what our client envisions to realising this into a beautiful bespoke piece of jewellery. It is very personal, that is where the enjoyment lies for me.
Richard
The creativity and opportunity to develop and realise a truly original design. The majority of jewellery out there follows traditions or trends so to bring something new to jewellery through design is a fantastic opportunity. Seeing an original design come to life is a buzz and I have to thank our clients for believing in some of our more original ideas!
What is a particularly memorable moment you’ve had at W&W?
Simon
I have a great memory of a fun event we did in Edinburgh at the Scotsman’s Hotel which was a wine tasting and gemstone event in one. The independent wine merchants Corney & Barrow provided a selection of wines, whilst we displayed an array of colourful pieces set with precious gemstones that had properties which allude to the characteristics of wine.
Some other memorable moments include Pippa Middleton wearing a bespoke W&W necklace at a party and Holly Willoughby wearing stacking rings created by us. We’ve also had a commission for a world cup squad. Another memorable moment was that I unknowingly made an engagement ring for an Olympic gold medallist!”
Richard
Starting the business stands out, we developed a business through organic enquiries and word of mouth. I am sure it is proof that we are trusted by our clients and we work hard to repay that trust.
In terms of jewellery, seeing the royal presentation of a piece we designed and created in the winner’s enclosure of the Derby at Epsom Downs Racecourse was a highlight.
What have you done over the years to continue to develop your own skills?
Simon
From the early days I attended relevant jewellery courses, for example, learning how to repair jewellery as well as a diamond grading course. More recently I completed the “Help To Grow” management course at Kingston University. Part of the job is that you are always learning as techniques and technology evolve, as well as being exposed to exciting new gemstones – never a dull moment!
Richard
I have based much of my career on experience and committing to finding the answer if I don’t already have it. By taking on challenging projects you develop new skills, push your own boundaries, and learn new approaches, which is really rewarding. Before I started working in jewellery, I took an evening class in jewellery making, and since then have completed diamond grading, jewellery design and a variety of business focused courses. More recently I completed a course on sustainability which is a crucial area for the jewellery industry to tackle.
What is one major challenge you’ve faced in these 15 years?
Simon
As I am sure a lot of business owners would agree recruitment has been a big challenge, to find people who are right for your business. Everything from global and national circumstances to the people you work with will influence your business.
Richard
Time – 15 years has flown by and there are so many things we have looked at doing and could achieve. W&W’s potential is still incredibly exciting and working towards greater success is really important to us. By focussing our efforts and time on our clients and the pieces we create we use up a lot of that time, so balancing that against family life and all the other demands of a small business is a major challenge.
Tell us about a piece which has really inspired you or pushed your design limits
Simon
There is no one single piece, but sourcing the right gemstones can certainly push limits! I care greatly about sourcing and putting the right selection of gemstones together. A lot of time and expertise goes into sourcing the very best range of options to present to our clients. Once the right stones are selected and the perfect design honed, it is beautiful to see it all come together.
I particularly enjoy creating engagement rings as they mark such a significant moment in people’s lives. For me it’s the meaning behind the pieces that really inspires me.
Richard
That would be the Fern Ring. Our client reached out to us wanting to remodel his wife’s ring that she had been wearing since she was young. The piece featured an oval green cabochon Pounamu which is very sentimental to her. The Fern Ring is inspired by our client’s inherited stone, referencing her New Zealand heritage we drew inspiration from the national emblem – the silver fern.
The Fern Ring features the green Pounamu at its heart, set into rich hand crafted 18ct gold and surrounded by diamonds and tsavorite garnets carefully chosen to accentuate the centre stone and to work in harmony with the organic shape.
The design went through numerous iterations before focussing on the unfurling fern idea. Thanks goes to our client who allowed the creative process to develop and for trusting us with this commission which resulted in a truly original and bold design.
