Treasured Memories: Laura's Story

One of my favourite creative challenges is designing around pieces of sentimental jewellery that have been passed down after someone has passed away. Each piece of jewellery holds a story, and I’m always so honoured when someone trusts me enough to not only tell me their story, but leaves these sentimental pieces in my capable hands to work my magic.

This was what led to me working with Laura, a lovely woman with a kind soul who had recently lost her beloved nan. We met at the Big South West Wedding Fair a year ago and I’d mentioned that I could incorporate pieces of old jewellery from lost loved ones into headpieces. She took my card and soon after, got in touch to see if I could help her with her accessory.

We met in a lovely café in Bristol with Laura’s mum and, over a cappuccino, Laura told me more about her nan and how she had some of her jewellery that she’d like to incorporate into an accessory design. I could see how important she was to Laura and how much Laura had wanted her to be part of her day, but sadly time wasn’t on their side.

Having been really close to my own nan, I wanted to make sure that I did Laura’s headpiece, and her nan, justice. She handed over a box filled with necklaces and earrings, but it was a button that stood out. Laura explained it was from her nan’s coat and I couldn’t see any other piece after that that would have served as the central detail.

I think there’s something about buttons that hits a little differently to jewellery. It’s the memory of the person’s favourite item of clothing or something they always wore. Those distinct buttons carry memories of outings together, of changing seasons and a life lived.

As Laura’s bridesmaids’ dresses were a beautiful shade of muted steel blue that was quite difficult to colour match, we decided to keep the details on the design fairly neutral, with a gold base, to let Laura’s sentimental pieces take centre stage.

Laura’s dress was another source of inspiration in my design. Her dress had beautifully delicate floral lace detail, so I wanted to mimic that in her headpiece too.

At home with Laura’s box of treasure, I carefully separated each piece of jewellery to see what I had to work with. I knew that the button was a must have, and there was also a pair of small, amethyst coloured heart studs that she said her nan always wore, so I really wanted to incorporate them into the design for her.

I played around with a few ideas for the central detail of Laura’s comb, trying out an Art Deco-style earring, the button and the button with a ring from one of the necklaces. In the end, we decided to combine elements from a few of the designs to get Laura’s final piece, and it was the combination of the button and the ring that won out for Laura. The ring made the perfect frame for her nan’s earrings too! I’d also shown how I could make little branches using details from one of her nan’s necklaces, which gave a hint of colour to the design.

Inspired by the details on Laura’s dress, I included rose-shaped beads with enamel branches in a similar layout to her dress and used these to frame the central button and ring.

I carefully took apart the necklace to create my branches, making sure to reconnect each section so that Laura wasn’t left with scraps of jewellery. I added a few leafy beaded branch details and then started to place all the sentimental details of Laura’s on the comb, making sure that each one was visible but fitted seamlessly into the design.

I was really pleased with the end result. This comb felt really special, and I really hoped that Laura felt it too.

Handing over Laura’s accessory was quite emotional. Tears welled up in her eyes when she saw her accessory in real life and could recognise all the details from her nan. I told her I hoped that it felt that she would be with her in spirit, and I really hope that this piece gave her a little bit of comfort.

I never underestimate the impact of these sentimental details. It doesn’t have to be anything big or obvious; sometimes, just knowing you have a little something from someone you love tucked away in a design is enough to bring some comfort.

Thank you, Laura, for trusting me with something so special. I hope I did your nan justice and I really hope you felt her love for you as you walked down the aisle.

If you’d like some advice about incorporating sentimental jewellery into your hair accessories, I’d love to hear from you!