A sentimental stone with a story

Some bespoke jewellery commissions stay with you long after they are completed, and this was one of them.

Created for a couple originally from New Zealand and now living in London, this highly sculptural bespoke ring began with a simple silver ring carrying enormous sentimental value. The original piece had been gifted to our client by her father during her teenage years and featured a treasured pounamu stone — a material deeply connected to New Zealand heritage and identity.

In New Zealand culture, pounamu is traditionally gifted rather than bought for oneself, making the stone especially meaningful. Our client wanted to honour both the emotional significance of the original ring and her connection to home, while transforming it into something far more expressive, artistic and personal.

Designing a bespoke fern-inspired ring

The design journey evolved naturally. We initially explored softer, more understated organic concepts, but as conversations progressed and the client became directly involved in the creative process, the commission took a far bolder direction. Inspired by the silver fern — the national symbol of New Zealand — we proposed an asymmetric, coiling design that wrapped around the finger like an unfurling fern frond. The response was immediate.

Textured gold, heirloom diamonds and sculptural form

Confident, fashion-forward and wonderfully open-minded, the client embraced the idea completely and gave us the creative freedom to push the design into truly unconventional territory. That trust allowed us to create something utterly unique.

At the centre of the ring sits the original oval pounamu cabochon, surrounded by vibrant tsavorite garnets and heirloom diamonds inherited from her mother. Rich textured yellow gold flows organically around the stones, with the surface finished in a raw, almost bark-like texture that gives the piece a beautifully tactile quality. The ring curves and coils around the finger in an intentionally fluid, open form, never fully closing — creating movement, tension and softness all at once.

Unlike a traditional symmetrical ring design, every angle reveals something unexpected. The asymmetry layered gemstones and sculptural silhouette give the piece an almost wearable-art quality while still feeling deeply personal and connected to nature.

A completely one-of-a-kind bespoke ring

This bespoke remodelling project perfectly captures what we love most about custom jewellery design: transforming sentimental heirloom pieces into contemporary jewellery with meaning, individuality and emotional depth.