No regrets…

A strong family bond…

A good few years ago, I got chatting with a friend of mine, Carla who lived close by.  We chatted about our children growing up and how they grow so fast.  Carla knew I helped people capture their special memories by creating stunning silver jewellery showcasing fingerprints, hand and footprints.  Carla decided she wanted to have a special piece of jewellery to symbolise the strong family bond she shares with her husband and 2 children.  We talked through some design ideas and Carla settled on small fingerprint charms with her children’s fingerprints on the front and their names hand inscribed on the back and another charm with her husbands name.

 

I spoke to Carla recently and she said…

I purchased 3 different charms to go on my bracelet. One was my husband’s name and the rest was my kids fingerprints as they all mean the world to me and I wanted them close to me.  The reason I had them done was my children were young and I knew I would always regret not having them done when they were so small. So many people ask me where I had them done and comment on how personal they are to me and my family.

Looking back I wish I had mine done at the same time so my children could keep them for when I grow older.  I chose Cheeky Little Prints because it’s a small run business and I could tailor make my own charms.  I was very mindful that it would be a one off gift and I wanted to get it right first time and I wasn’t disappointed.

Aftercare makes all the difference

Carla wanted her charms attached to a nice chunky Tiffany bracelet and the lockable jump rings I use to secure charms were not big enough.  I advised her to take the bracelet and charms to a jeweller and have the jump rings soldered for added security.  The jeweller also cleaned the charms with a solution called ‘Jewelers Rouge’ after soldering the jump rings. which they thought would be a helpful thing to do.  Unfortunately, this jeweller had not seen fingerprint jewellery before and didn’t realise their cleaning solution would strip away the antique detailing I had applied to the charms to highlight the fingerprint and personalisation details.  Carla was beside herself and didn’t know what to do as the charms looked totally different.  Carla called me in tears and I listened to what had happened and offered support and solutions to resolve the problem as quickly as possible.

I believe aftercare is just as important as the discussions I have with my clients beforehand choosing the best options and designing their jewellery.  These are all things you should take into consideration when choosing someone to create such special jewellery and keepsakes.

What memories will you capture in 2017?

I hope this year is the year you capture your special memories.  I hear all to often that my clients had been meaning to order jewellery showcasing their loved one’s unique prints for a long time but hadn’t got around to it.  Life is so fast paced these days, however, none of us know what is around the corner.  So don’t wait and put it off any longer, capture your loved one’s special prints and keep a part of them with you wherever you go.

The possibilities are endless and every piece of jewellery I create is handcrafted and bespoke.  I appreciate there is a lot to choose from though and I am more than happy to have a chat with you on the phone to talk through what you might like created.  I will call on my 8 years experience to help and guide you in making the best choice for you.   If you would like to call, my phone number is 0779 283 5639.