NAJ helps with a very special commission

27 Aug 2020

The re-working of a treasured piece of jewellery – very often of great sentimental value or with familial significance – has always been carried out in the workshops of certain jewellery retailers and goldsmiths.

But it’s probably fair to say that this is a trend, along with other types of bespoke commissions, that has been growing over the past few years. It’s also unsurprising that the demand for this sensitive service has been strong during the last few difficult months.

How to find the right jeweller however?

For Mr and Mrs Michael Schofield, this was proving to be a quandary for a very special, emotional and potentially tricky undertaking… and finding the perfect jeweller who could help was proving difficult. Which was when the National Association of Jewellers (NAJ) stepped in.

A little background… around 20 years ago Michael bought his wife Jane a simple gold necklace with a cross on it, which she has worn every day since. A few years later, when she was bequeathed a sum of money by an uncle, she added a single diamond to the piece. Then, more recently, when her mother passed away, her wedding band was added to the back of the cross, creating a halo effect. The simple piece of jewellery was becoming an evolving family heirloom.

Then, in September last year, the unthinkable happened – Jane and Michael lost their beloved son, Michael. They desperately wanted to create something that would be a lasting memory of him. Would it be possible, they wondered, to incorporate some of his ashes into the necklace? Perhaps the ring could be converted into a sealed, enclosed case?

“We wanted to find a reputable jeweller – the job had to be done right,” says Mr Schofield, who learned that the extra piece to create the case, needed to be laser-welded rather than soldered, in order not to compromise the ashes.

“I felt that there must be a trade association that would be able to point us in the right direction – a governing body with standards and codes of practice. We found the NAJ straight away. We also, definitely, wanted British expertise and were happy to travel anywhere in the country to find it.” 

Happily, they didn’t have to travel too far. The NAJ’s head of membership, Scott Williams, introduced the Rugby-based couple to Hockley Mint in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter. The jewellery manufacturing company is one of the few such businesses in the UK with the laser machine required. And what followed exceeded the Schofield’s expectations.

After images and a detailed brief were exchanged by email and an acceptable quote provided by NAJ member Hockley Mint, it was “no problem, of course we can do this”. Not only that, but the couple were invited to visit the workshop, have a tour of the works and watch craftsman Dave Webster create the final pieces of the precious jigsaw.

Mr Schofield explains,

“The trust aspect of the work was really important – we had complete piece of mind because we saw the ashes being placed in their container. From start to finish we didn’t lose sight of them. 

“We could also see the expertise and craftsmanship that went into the job. We were so grateful to be allowed behind closed doors to witness it and we can’t thank Scott at the NAJ enough for facilitating our introduction to Hockley Mint, as well as Gary Wroe, Managing Director of Hockley Mint.”

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Source: The National Association of Jewellers