May 3, 2024 |
Sitting at a discreet table in one of London’s recently opened swanky hotels, jewellery designer Hattie Rickards is presiding over a velvet-lined box containing six engagement rings. Not just any engagement rings, but her new Icons collection, her first made-to-measure offering in the betrothal sphere.
Over the last 14 years Rickards has carved out a sterling reputation for herself and her distinctive bespoke jewellery designs as well as her skills at remodelling old jewellery pieces and refashioning them into something more current – and personal. “I’m so besotted with making people their dream ring,” she beams.
But a thousand commissions down the road, and with a very strong custom-made engagement ring following behind her, she has decided to distil all of her knowledge and expertise to create this concise offering that touches all the key betrothal ring style bases into a simple offering of styles to choose from but one that still offers clients the ability to tailor them to their own wishes “depending on their desire, their budget, their central stone preference or if they want to change the cut or the size,” she explains.
Hattie Rickards
The time felt right to offer such a service. “I’m established and people can see my design look and those who come to me [for bespoke] have done a huge amount of research and know that they want a design-led engagement ring and something that will give them a huge amount of confidence and will set them apart from others and will be interesting and unique and empower them. That’s what they’re looking for.” With Icon, “I want it to be an opportunity for a client to say they love the signature, but can we have some sapphires in there instead of white diamonds, or can we do something different with the shank – or it might even be the inspiration for a completely bespoke piece”.
The collection breaks down into three subsets: Halo, Solitaire and the HRJ signature with two styles in each.
The Halo, she says, is “an old concept but it’s been modernised”. This one has a round brilliant cut diamond in the centre with a halo of round diamonds that have been set in square boxes to give them a more geometric shape and a fresh, modern look (and echoes her own ring). With the HRJ Target design she says she hopes she “has reinvented the wheel here slightly on the Halo concept by alternating princess and step cut diamonds all the way round and the light plays on them very differently”.
Photography courtesy of @hattierickardsjewellery
For the solitaires she says she “spent a long time designing these. How many solitaires have you seen! But I really wanted to make it my own. But it took a lot of thought, as you’re honing in on minute details to make sure the proportions work”. The result is the The Solitaire Eternal with a central double claw-setting and carré cut channel setting on the shoulders and the The Solitaire which features “a really beautiful, modern, crisp sculptured shank which is elegant yet strong and gives the central diamond such a great home on your finger and doesn’t look chunky or delicate”.
Then there’s the signature pair, which have her distinctive echoes of Art Deco that always feel modern, fresh and sculptural under Rickards’ jurisdiction. The Baguette has three arches of custom cut gemstones ‘which I find so pleasing and love the cleanness of it and the different angles of appreciation to it’. And The Signature features channel set tapering stones all precision cut with facets of carré, Asscher and baguettes, graduating arches front and back, so “you feel you’re wearing a seriously special ring but not a ‘wow, look at me!’ ring, and that’s the way I’ve learned how to shape and echo a finger in the right way,” says Rickards.
Of course, ring buying needn’t just be a romantic thing. Though many of her clients start there, big life occasions can see them go on to commission a new ring or necklace or other piece of jewellery. And – especially with the signature designs – a bit of self-shopping can’t be ruled out (they’d make great pinky rings). But if the months ahead are likely to see bended knee scenarios in your future then a piece from Hattie Rickards is the perfect proposal proffer – and one that’s now all the easier to make your own.
Photography courtesy of Hattie Rickards. Discover The Icons here.
