Spotlight on Jen Cunningham

Currently our spotlight is shining on Jen Cunningham and her bespoke, landscape impressed jewellery.

Jen is a Scottish jeweller, building just one-off parts and partnership rings influenced by her clients’ favourite mountain ranges, landscapes and cities. Using ethically sourced treasured metals, she can encapsulate your favourite place in lovely detail.

If you’re not emotion blown absent by off-the-shelf wedding rings, then why not style and design your individual, influenced by someplace you adore? Immediately after all, this significant element of your working day will be with you for the rest of your everyday living.

Go through on to obtain out far more about how Jen is effective and be inspired…

Inform us extra about you. How did you get into creating jewelry?

I examined jewelry and metalwork design and style at college after having a appreciate of jewellery instilled in me by a quite inspiring artwork trainer at school. It was at uni that I realised my passion for Scottish landscapes could be translated into wearable jewellery. I graduated in 2007 and instantly had orders for wedding rings as they ended up so uncommon from the high road providing.

Alternatively than acquiring a range of rings you can obtain from, I make my rings to order. I can use your favourite mountain vary, landscape or metropolis and convert that into your marriage ceremony or partnership rings. With around 15 a long time of earlier commissions to aid you attract inspiration from, you can visualise how your ring might seem. I also have a variety of samples so you can see the good quality of my work if you have not observed my work in person prior to.

In 2017 I went to a symposium about ethical earning, that gave me the push I required to transform my working tactics to be a lot more moral. I now supply recycled metals as common in all my jewelry, and can also supply Single Mine Origin and Fairtrade supply precious metals too. I source Canada mark diamonds as well as gemstones from suppliers who perform straight with the mines they get their stones from. I know deciding upon rings can be a entirely new knowledge for people, so I’m usually pleased to chat about what all these distinctive terms necessarily mean.

What do you appreciate most about your operate?

I adore doing work with my clients – they’re usually the loveliest men and women and I hear the greatest tales from them. I really like studying the good reasons why particular spots are extremely critical to people today, stories of holiday seasons and proposals up mountains (or be a little component in them taking place). I get to listen to the nicknames they want secretly engraved inside rings.

I don’t know if it’s a thing about the mutual link we have a really like of landscapes, but each and every person I’ve labored with I have gotten on properly with. I assume that’s truly crucial for consumers when deciding on who to operate with you have acquired to like and belief the particular person that you’ll be asking to make some incredibly distinctive rings for you.

Who, or what, conjures up you?

It’s reasonably noticeable that Scottish landscapes and mountains inspire my get the job done, I love being ready to generate precise representations of these mountains or cities for my purchasers. I grew up reverse the Isle of Arran on the south-west coast of Scotland and that delivered the original inspiration for me when I was at uni. You’ll continue to see Arran and Goatfell pieces in my collections even now.

I’m unquestionably influenced by my clients’ stories. I consider after I know far more about why a position is so particular to them, a thing takes place as I’m generating it, it gets to be infused with that pleasure and which means.

I really like remaining amongst the mountains of Scotland, I’m a good weather hiker I’d say I’ve only completed a couple munros but for me, there’s a freedom that will come from just getting *in* the Scottish landscapes. There’s an indescribable sensation I get from getting nearer to nature whilst also feeling insignificant in the grand plan of items. It is relocating and highly effective remaining in the mountains, if you have go through Nan Shephard’s The Living Mountain, the feeling I acquired when reading that e-book is what I’m making an attempt to create when men and women dress in my rings.

Where do you see by yourself in 5 years’ time?

Oh, this is a good question!

In 5 many years time, I’ll have a independent (from my home) studio established up, with space for clients to come in and see where I make their marriage rings. I’d also really like to host make-your-possess partnership ring lessons for purchasers far too.

I’d adore to be using additional Fairtrade and Single Mine Origin important metals in my wedding rings, as nicely as offering much more back again to the communities exactly where mining will take position. Often gold mining is artisanal, or tiny scale, not the big open up pits you see on the web. So when I purchase gold from suppliers like that, who can trace all the way back again to the mine, my shoppers know they’re supporting miners and their families who might all work in the field and they can invest that again into restoring the landscape the moment the mining is concluded.

I’d also like to boost my donations to help with route erosion and rewilding initiatives within just the British isles, to guarantee these lovely areas are all-around for many years to arrive. I at present plant a tree for each and every human being in a romantic relationship when a person purchases a ring for a celebration from me, even if they are only buying a single.

Inform us a secret…

I’ve acquired a great poker face when it will come to techniques. I’ve had to preserve so a lot of tricks for my customers about proposals and shock items.

On a day off, where will we discover you?

You will probably come across me at the beach front walking my pet, Alder. I grew up in a coastal village in south west Scotland so any time I can I go to the beach, any beach, as it definitely refreshes me.

Something else you’d like to share?

I never add zeros to my rates if you mention the phrase “wedding” or “civil partnership”. Usually men and women feel frightened to point out the term, and I understand why. Don’t stress, I value every little thing the exact for any event and use the most up-to-date gold value to perform out my quotes.

What Jen’s couples say:

“Jen created our marriage ceremony rings, including a landscape that has big importance to us. Her function is completely unbelievable, and she satisfied the quick flawlessly. She is so gifted and unbelievably helpful and accommodating. She’s also so experienced, presented us with so lots of possibilities, and saved us current each and every stage of the way. I would unquestionably advise her to any person, and will be making use of her once more for even more pieces.”

“Jen built mine and my husband’s wedding day rings. They are exceptionally stunning and accurately what we desired. They are distinctive to us and we are so content with what Jen produced for us. I cannot suggest her really enough she is so friendly and educated. We could not be happier with the full procedure.”

“Our encounter with Jen was second to none. We requested two bespoke wedding day rings, furthermore a bracelet and pendant. They are all stunning and we are thrilled. Obtaining personalised jewelry for these kinds of a distinctive situation is fantastic. Jen is so proficient, handy and affected individual all over the commissioning system.”

In like with Jen’s landscape impressed jewellery? We are way too! To see far more of the magical delights she makes head on over to Jen’s site.