‘It’s a great time for bridal,’ says Elena Lopez-Martinez, salon manager at Stephen Webster. ‘All the previous rules are being broken in a great fun way. Couples buy pieces together more often than not now. Same sex couples are designing matching bands and couples in their 70s who’ve been together for forty years are deciding the time it right. One recent male client didn’t want to wear a wedding ring, so we designed a ‘wedlock’, a padlock with the ring inside, which he can wear as a necklace. Anything is possible.’
Stephen Webster has long been known for his limitless creativity and refined craftsmanship but today you can add sustainability pioneer to the top of that list. And his clients are right behind him, enticed into the considered creative hub that is the Mount Street Salon. Here you can access his No Regrets Lounge, a space originally housed above his flagship boutique on Rodeo Drive and today where Mayfair clients share ideas and indulge in their love of art and photography, fashion, good conversation and music, all while sipping the most Stephen Webster of cocktails – a spicy margarita with a black salt rim. ‘They are free to explore our Cabinet of Curiosities,’ says Elena ‘containing all the things that inspire Stephen – some of the original stones used in his jewellery, early pieces and homewares and archive jewellery from the vault.’
This space extends into the No Regrets Chapel, a non-sectarian space ‘where everyone is welcome and where we can all celebrate that important person in our lives.’
Last year saw the launch of the ready-to-wear bridal collection, Shotgun, because not everyone has time to have something made bespoke. The engagement rings and wedding bands take inspiration from some of Stephen’s most iconic pieces. Thorn In My Side features a thorn design jacket around a single round diamond while the Magipheasant Solitaire has a diamond between two wings and Forget Me Knot is a barbed wire design with a solitaire sitting next to it.
You can now buy something on demand from RTW, make tweaks to a RTW design, select the stone ‘that speaks to you the most’ or opt for the Reset service where an existing piece of jewellery is recycled. ‘That is the beauty of jewellery,’ adds Elena. ‘You will forever be able to reuse it and make it something you love. You can melt the gold, reset the stones and make it work with your current style.’
December 2022 saw the launch of the Stephen Webster and Skydiamond collaboration ‘to take sustainability to the next level,’ adds Elena. ‘The process creates a carbon negative diamond that’s made in England.’ One that is physically and chemically identical to an earth-mined diamond.
‘You can have it all,’ says Elena. ‘A fully bespoke ring, using SMO Gold, resetting an existing piece of jewellery with a Skydiamond. We’re here to make something fabulous for you.’
Stephen Webster
From the jewellery department of Sotheby’s to her own dedicated six storey townhouse in Mayfair, Jessica McCormack designs future heirloom pieces to last more than one lifetime. The space houses Jessica’s workshop, design studio, library, two floors of jewellery and a secret garden. If you are looking for a decadent wedding present for yourself or a loved one, consider her heirloom jewellery boxes that come with £8,000 of personally selected jewellery inside.
Six generations of jewellery-making expertise are felt when you step inside this discreet Mayfair showroom that is Pragnell. Benefit from the expert advice of gemologists and antique jewellery specialists who, as well as sourcing special pieces, can redesign antique jewels into wearable modern creations. A small adjustment to an existing piece may be done in few days, with more complicated redesigns up to eight weeks. The team recommend making all wedding bands from new to perfectly match your measurements, although they do hold a selection of wedding rings in stock if needed.
Pragnell
Finesse your wedding ring wardrobe at Annoushka from the range of stacking rings that offer engagement, wedding bands and eternity rings from the Love & Commitment collection that you can mix and match stylishly together. Play with different textures, gemstone colours and ring styles until you’ve found the perfect pairing then switch up the positions for different looks to suit your mood and your diary.
Swiss-made and celebrating 120 years of watchmaking next year, the independently owned Oris is best known for three of its diving and pilot timepieces. The Aquis, the Diver Sixty-Five and The Big Crown. Grooms-to-be or those seeking a special wedding gift might like to take a look at the Diver Sixty-Five 12 hour Calibre 400. With its black leather strap and dial, this is one of the smartest looking watches in the collection and one that could sit just as happily at the boardroom table as the top table. Each watch is sold with its own unique serial number which can be searched for online. If you’re lucky, you may find one that chimes perfectly with the wedding date.
With strong sustainability credentials, Oris has stepped away from its association with motorsport and now sponsors Lord’s Cricket Ground as well as challenging its efforts into reducing its carbon emissions by ten per cent every year for the next three years. It is championing global environmental causes through innovative product design. The Aquis UpCycle watch has a dial made from plastic taken out of the ocean, meaning every dial is different.
Those who buy an Oris watch are invited to join the Oris Social Club, a collective of fans who come together in every country where Oris has an office to compare collections and celebrate their love of luxury watches.
Traditionally, every year on 1st June Oris launches a new watch, so if you are marrying this summer, it may be perfect timing for a gift that represents thoughtful luxury.
