If you think an order is on the horizon for you please try to get it in as early as possible. Custom designs can take a bit of extra time to go through the details and discuss sketches.
If any dates changes I will update this page as the weeks go by. To stay up to date with what is happening at Amy Jennifer Jewellery please sign up to our emails or follow on Instagram- @amyjennifer.jewellery.
Thank you,
Amy
In 2022 we live in a world where we share intimate details of our lives and celebrate all of life's little wins! Finding out the sex of an unborn baby is no different and our feeds are full of creative and fun gender reveals!
When it comes to announcing the gender of my very first baby I of course jumped at the opportunity to somehow incorporate jewellery! I feel that to create a keepsake and make something unique is such a special way to honour this precious time and personal news.
]]>When it comes to announcing the gender of my very first baby I of course jumped at the opportunity to somehow incorporate jewellery! I feel that to create a keepsake and make something unique is such a special way to honour this precious time and personal news.
I came up with the idea for a ‘gender reveal ring’ somewhere between weeks 12-14 of my pregnancy when things started to feel ‘pretty real’ after my first ultrasound scan. I was then realising that by the time my second scan came around we could find out the gender of our little one.
We received lots of questions about if we would find out the sex. Would we wait until they are born? Would have a gender reveal party? The list goes on. I started thinking of more personal and subtle but creative ways to announce the gender of our baby. We decided early on that we didn't want a party, no confetti cannons or smoke bombs but I felt like I did want something to celebrate the news somehow.
I fell in love with the idea of making a special ring that was just for me- a rare treat for a jeweller to make jewellery just for herself!
I started dreaming and drawing and landed on the idea of making a ‘Toi Et Moi’ ring. A design typically used as an engagement ring, ‘Toi Et Moi’ is French and translates to “You and Me’. Although, for this occasion I couldn't think of something more beautifully fitting.
My favourite gemstone cut is a pear shape so I decided to use one next to a round stone and have the pear-shaped gemstone represent the ‘gender’ and a smaller white round Diamond to represent 'Moi'.
This ring design was sketched out by hand and then drawn up in CAD (computer-aided design). This helps map out the exact proportions of the gemstones next to one another and decide on the angles, all while having full visual reference.
In advance of the 20 weeks scan where we find out the gender from the sonographer, I picked out which gemstones I would use to represent a baby boy or baby girl. With so many beautiful gems to choose from the decision wasn't easy, but gemstone shopping is a favourite pastime of mine, and I adored deciding what I felt fit the vision in my mind.
I personally prefer a more neutral palette and opted for the most beautiful Peach Morganite for a girl and a Pale Blue Sapphire for a boy.
I decided to make the ring in 18K yellow gold, it is such a warm and vibrant metal that goes beautifully with both the Morganite and Sapphire tones. This is a ring I intend to wear daily, and as I build up my own personal yellow gold jewellery collection it will be a perfect addition.
In the time between the sketches and the scan I had picked out the gemstones, printed my design in wax, cast it in 18K yellow gold and set the 0.20ct diamond. All ready for the final gemstone to be set…
Fast forward to the magical 20 weeks scan- we were able to see our little baby on the screen once again. Moving around so much the sonographer struggles to get a photograph. We had the wonderful news that everything is on track and we got a top score for all the important progress markers. Of course, a healthy baby is the #1 priority and after the health check, we got the exciting news that the gender of our baby…
]]>Creating this ‘You and Me’ ring during my pregnancy has been an incredibly special experience and gives this piece of jewellery sentiment and meaning. I intend on getting her birthday engrave into the inside of the band after she is born. It's a ring I will cherish forever and would love to pass it on one day to my future daughter. Let's hope she loves jewellery as much as her mama!!
Please get in touch if you would also like to honour this special time with a piece of jewellery. Wearing this ring fills my heart with so much love and excitement for the future. I consider it to be a future family heirloom. This ring design can be used with any gemstone and customised just for you. I can ‘keep the secret’ and work with couples to make a surprise announcement. The gemstones do not need to be exclusively ‘pink’ or ‘blue’, other ways to celebrate special dates would be to use a birthstone.
To order this ring for yourself click here.
Please email hello@amyjenniferjewellery.com to chat about your very own gender reveal jewellery.
There are 3 main types of ring measurement. US ring size, UK Ring size and EU ring size. Each one uses a slightly different metric of measurement. Many times when shopping online, you will see these different ring sizes depending on where the company is based. It is easy to convert these different ring measurements with the help of our ring size conversion chart.
When determining your size, you want to keep in mind that the size of your finger fluctuates throughout the day so it’s usually a good idea to take a few measurements at different times. Your fingers will be smaller when you are cold and bigger when it’s warm or after any exercise. The correct size can also be affected by the width of the band. Wider rings will usually need to be a ½ size larger than narrow ones.
Lastly, if you don’t want to risk getting the wrong size then you can always take a look at our necklaces or earrings for a one-size-fits-all option.
]]>One of the most important parts in having a business is creating a strong brand identity. This includes but is not limited to;
The thought process that goes into curating these is often overlooked. The goal of good branding is clean, effortless and authentic. Packaging is carefully designed to compliment the company’s products and support the story of the brand as a whole.
Being sustainable in my packaging has always been a priority. When beginning my search for new jewellery boxes in early 2019 I had my checklist ready of what I would and wouldn’t use.
Not only did the boxes have to be recycle-able they had to be made from recycled materials.
Lucky for me it is 2019 and finding an eco-friendly company that does just that was not too hard to find.
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In the past I have used cards with photographs of my jewellery as well as a large jewellery care card and business card. I have updated this set of cards into a 3 in 1 tag.
This is more of a 'no frills' approach as I know most people do not keep everything they receive in the mail. I prefer to keep the fancy designs on the jewellery and let this classy little cardboard box keep it safe for you.
The card used has no fancy finish and no coloured inks and uses a fraction of the amount of card to give the same information. They can be easily popped into the recycling bin if need be.
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And finally, one of the things that for me was an EASY thing to change - was getting rid of plastic tape.
Tape is a necessity in packaging, mostly for security reasons. You definitely want to protect the contents and be the first person to see whats inside. Although we can’t get around using it there are definitely eco-friendly alternatives to plastic tape.
The paper tape I use for all AJJ orders has been used on parcels sent around the world from Thailand and arrived in perfect condition.
It doesn’t peel away easily and is strong.
A satisfying rip open or gliding a little knife around the edges will get you inside the parcel.
There is nothing I hate more than battling with the triple tape wrapped package to get at my new shiny purchase. Maybe it’s the sheer amount of tape I'v seen used that has tipped me over the edge but enough is enough!
I mean, it’s no secret now that the amount of waste we throw away is, in the literal sense- unsustainable. As we all arm ourselves with cotton bags and copper straws sometimes we don’t always get the option with how much plastic we have in our lives. It goes beyond our own efforts and falls on the shoulders of the companies we buy from.
As someone who loves online shopping as much as the next 29 year old who works from home. There is nothing I HATE more than to open up an exciting delivery to find two fistfuls of plastic. Even if I didn’t know how much plastic I was going to end up with, I still feel this immense guilt (that I didn’t sign up for) when I’m shoving it in the bin. Then I go ahead and making mental note not to order from that company again.
So when you treat yourself to your very own special piece of jewellery from AJJ rest assured no plastic will be sent to you along with it. Each part of the parcel can be recycled- even the jewellery itself is technically recyclable. All the materials used have thoughtfully been selected with the environment in mind and it doesn't cost you a penny extra.
Amy xo
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I want to share my journey of sustainability and what it means to me. As a brand I strive to create high quality, ethically made jewellery using methods that do not negatively impact our environment.
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I want to share my journey of sustainability and what it means to me. As a brand I strive to create high quality, ethically made jewellery using methods that do not negatively impact our environment.
The unfortunate truth about the majority of the jewellery industry is profits are always put first. This means the planet and its people comes second. It's not just the jewellery industry, this includes fashion, bags, shoes & accessories. The dark side of these industries that create so many beautiful items is the connection to sweatshops, child labour, destruction of resources and landscapes and impossible amounts of excessive waste.
All in the name of fashion. Items designed to be worn for a season...then what?
Small artisan designers are fighting a big fight against the throw away society. To us it’s one of the most important things about our products.
Consumers hold all the power. You vote what matters to you with your $
The way we are living cannot go on. By the literal definition, it is not sustainable. Our landfills are overflowing and are oceans are full of chemicals. Seeing the remains of our discarded purchases scattered around us on the side of roads and along every coastline doesn’t seem crazy anymore.
Each individual must get to the point where they realise they have a choice. We can’t sit back and complain about the giant companies and do nothing ourselves.
Sure, individually we don’t have the impact large corporations have to fix our problems, but as a collective we can do something!
If you start right now with yourself. What small parts of your life can you look to change?
Here are a list of things I have personally changed in my life in the past 12 months which haven't been difficult to implement
I am far, far from perfect and have so much further to go on my sustainable journey. These may only seem small but if we all did it surely we can reduce our personal negative impact on the planet.
As someone who has spend that last 6.5 years living in foreign lands, I have witnessed first hand the stark contrast in how much the environment matters to society within different cultures. Much of this is down to lack of education and available waste & recycling services. SE Asia is the hub of quantity over quality, and unfortunately this means the throw away mentality is deeply ingrained.
As Amy Jennifer Jewellery has developed in Thailand it became more and more important to me to steer clear of the convenience using plastic. Because that's what plastic is really - convenient. I don’t believe in short cuts just to increase profit margins which come at the cost of the environment.
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Here are the ways AJJ as a business has changed to become a more sustainable brand
Again, I still have a long way to go. My transition from Thailand to the UK will give me an opportunity to begin the next chapter of my business with a clean slate and every decision I make for my business will come under strict sustainability scrutiny. I will be as transparent as possible with all my new changes and welcome any support and ideas to help me achieve this important goal of being a truly eco-conscious brand full of beautiful jewellery.
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My time in Thailand was a gift. This time allowed me to really understand what I needed and what I didn’t. I moved away from the excess of western life and lived with just the basics. A (leaky) roof over my head, cheap simple meals, sunshine, love & creativity.
This shift in lifestyle was not only eye opening it was liberating! The less I had the happier I was and I finally knew what all those old quotes about money & happiness where talking about.
The people around me didn't care what car I used to drive or what university I went to. We all had the same brand of flip flops and at the end of the day would all drink the same local beer to watch the sunset.
It gave me a fresh perspective on how much we waste back home and our obsession with excess. Its not to say the way I used to live was particularly extraordinary, but convenience is the way of life in the UK. If you take away convenience you really get to the bottom of what we can live without.
I have plenty to say on the benefits of living simply but I will save that for another blog post.
Read my interview with the wonderful Alex in Wanderland from 2017
https://www.alexinwanderland.com/earning-abroad-running-a-jewellery-business-in-thailand/