Jewellery Designer Bear Brooksbank

Bear shows us an aquamarine and rock crystal cuff that she designed for a client

Good morning dear!  I am so very pleased to bring you today’s post, where we are meeting with London-based jewellery designer Bear Brooksbank.  Not only does Bear bring us a beautifully designed jewellery collection, but she also provides a bespoke jewellery design service and has an stunning range of antique jewellery pieces that complement her own designs.

“Tourmalated”quartz ring by Bear Brooksbank

When you enter Bear’s office in East London you right away notice how light and spacious the rooms are, with tall, elegant windows and pure white walls – something that immediately appealed to my Scandinavian self!  This understated elegance is then further echoed in her jewellery designs, where clean lines highlight the fascinating gemstones that she has chosen to work with – and that is in fact how Bear starts designing each piece, by picking the perfect stone.

This beautiful quartz ring from another angle

What struck me about the designs was that natural inclusions of the gemstones hadn’t always been polished away; quite the opposite, as they were often the most striking features in Bear’s jewellery.  She explained to me that she loves to celebrate the natural look and feel of the materials, which in turn makes each piece unique.  Above you can see the perfect example of this, in a yellow gold ring with a tourmalated quartz centre stone.  Below is another great example, as on the right side of the aquamarine cuff you can see a big, natural inclusion in the rock crystal, that Bear worked into the design:

Aquamarine and Rock Crystal cuff designed by Bear Brooksbank

Bear is a qualified gemologist and she started her jewellery career at antique jeweller Humphrey Butler, an antique jewellery specialist here in London, who focuses both on estate jewellery and more contemporary luxury items, dating from the 18th century to the present day.  She began designing her own jewellery in February 2012.

Art Deco has long been a great source of inspiration for her, but lately she has found herself more and more inspired by the 1940s, as we can see in the beautiful Art Deco diamond dress ring below.  The ring is set with old round brilliant-cut diamonds, and I must say that there is just something so beautiful and romantic about old cut diamonds – do make sure that you take a closer look with a loop when you next run into one!

Art Deco Gold and Diamond Ring from Bear Brooksbank

Bear doesn’t sell her jewellery via her website, instead her clients find her by word of mouth.  Part of the experience of having a pieces designed by Bear is working together with her; exploring the design, studying the metal and the gemstones, and bringing out a beautiful piece that is just your own.  Once you are happy with the design, her workshop will go ahead and create the piece for you.

Earrings by Bear Brooksbank

Some of Bear’s designs are inspired by previous eras and some are of contemporary design.  When it comes to bespoke designs, she is able to remodel for example your granny’s brooch into a necklace, and she takes great care in preserving the sentiment of the heirloom, while creating a piece that you will love to wear today.  As mentioned before here on the blog, it is so easy to keep your favourite pieces hidden away safely as you don’t dare to wear them, but I thought that Bear summed it up perfectly when she said: 

“You mustn’t be too sentimental about jewellery – it should be worn!”

A selection of rings from Bear’s collection

Bear also does bespoke engagement rings, where prices currently range from £1,900 up to £8,000, but if you would like to commission a piece on for example a £500 budget, then that can also be done.  In Bear’s own words: “Price shouldn’t limit you from getting the piece of jewellery that you want.”

Earrings by Bear Brooksbank

So my dear, I would warmly recommend that you take a look on Bear’s website to see if you find inspiration or even a piece that you love – and then get in touch with her to create that perfect piece of jewellery for you!  And do remember so share a photo of it here on the blog, as we would love to see what you end up going for!