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Not sure where to start or whether to make this journey but would like to really take someone’s breath away and surprise someone special with an amazing piece of jewellery unique to them?

If you would love to give a very special lasting and memorable individual engagement and wedding ring, an exceptional Christmas, birthday, wedding or anniversary gift, then take delight in having a unique bespoke piece of jewellery made. We can help and guide you to discover exactly what type of jewellery suits and the designs which will appeal.  There are so many possibilities and our experienced designers will assist in narrowing down all choices to create an ideal beautiful piece of jewellery that will match the occasion, lifestyle and budget.

Commissioning a bespoke item of jewellery gives you, the customer, a wonderful  opportunity to take part in designing a truly original piece of jewellery that directly reflects the personality of the individual. A splendid piece of jewellery that celebrates a special time, a memorable event or captures just a moment, is eternally everlasting and enduring. Once given, the occasion or reason is never forgotten; the piece will always mean so much more, evoking the joyful surprise in receiving it and the care, time and thoughtful effort put in to creating the beautiful piece of bespoke jewellery.

An in-house Designer and working Goldsmith will be hands on in dealing directly with you, designing and actually making your jewellery too. The team here at Michael Platt are accustomed to working closely with customers, interpreting  and translating thoughts, sketched ideas or doodles into wonderful jewellery.  Whether working on a totally brand new piece or the redesign of dated, worn out or inherited jewellery, it is a truly exciting journey that does not need to be complex or necessarily expensive.

The process begins with an informal chat, an exchange of ideas, preferences, styles, special dates, words or names, stones, precious metals and, of course, budget.

On the return visit, customers are presented with a selection of hand drawn or 3D computer modelled designs, to discuss and choose from and, if needed, a variety of gorgeous gemstones or sparkling diamonds to select from. Customers are encouraged to be involved at every stage, much like a dress design and fitting, and can return to view the progression of their item as it evolves if time permits. Traditional hand-crafted methods are used in the in store workshop to create your bespoke piece of jewellery. This can start with freely hand carving the item in wax to be cast in the chosen metal. Once the item is formed, it will be quite ‘rough’. It is then cleaned, refined and polished and Hallmarked by the London Assay Office. The final workshop process is the setting of stones – a fine, delicate and precise process. The end pleasure for the team is when the customer collects the finished item with true wonder and pleasure.

Having something that no one else has is very special. If you would like a bespoke piece of jewellery for yourself or for someone exceptional in your life, do pop into us at the shop, with or without an appointment, for a chat about your ideas. There is absolutely no charge or obligation for an initial consultation or drawings. In fact, if the project is confirmed, the only charge will be a 50% deposit to begin the process. The time scale for creating a piece of Bespoke Jewellery, depending on the complexity of the item following agreement of designs and stones is  a minimum of 4 weeks.

Bespoke jewellery is not something simply ‘owned or just worn’ it is becomes dearly cherished, appreciated and prized. With just a little extra thought and effort, along with our expert professional input, an outstanding brilliant piece of jewellery can be created; a future family heirloom to pass on.

The Dove has been a prominent symbol above the front door of our shop in Church Road, Wimbledon Village SW19 for nearly 30 years.

Doves are closely associated with love and peace. The dove was singled out to represent romance because Greek mythology associated the small, white bird with Aphrodite, the goddess of love (known in Roman mythology as Venus). Aphrodite/Venus is often depicted with doves fluttering around her or resting on her hand. Doves also represent monogamy and loyalty in relationships excellent qualities for marriage because they tend to stay with the same partner.

Doves belong to the Columbidae family, which is the family of pigeons. They have a round and a stout body, short neck and beak and are strong birds. They are excellent navigators, which also makes them capable of delivering messages. Apart from these traits, they are extremely popular, and are often associated with strong emotions.

They raise their young ones with great care and dedication. They build their nests in areas near human settlements. In a way, this may have given people the opportunity to witness the immense love, care, and loyalty displayed by white doves. People quickly associated doves with peace, love, and dedication. In fact, their reputation as symbols of love is so strong that many love potion recipes popular during medieval times required the heart of a dove!

In ancient Aztec culture, the Goddess of Love, Xochiquetzal, considered the mother of humanity who gave the world the gift of speech and languages, is believed to have descended on Earth in the form of a dove after the Great Flood.

In Hindu mythology, Kamadeva-the God of love-is known to ride a dove bird. This may also be another reason why doves are associated with love.

Doves are referred to as the symbol that defines the presence of God. The Biblical story of Noah’s Ark truly defines the symbolism of white doves with peace. As per the story, after the Great Flood, Noah sent out a white dove to see if there was any land. The dove returned with an olive twig its beak, which meant that it had found dry land somewhere. This brought relief to Noah, who had spent almost a year on the ark. Since then, a white dove with an olive twig in its beak is considered symbol of peace.

The dove is truly a bird that has touched the human mind and heart. It has inspired mankind with its innocence and purity. It reminds people of the very basic traits to live a fruitful life filled with love in peace!

Dove Symbolism and Meanings:

• Love
• Grace
• Promise
• Devotion
• Divinity
• Holiness
• Sacrifice
• Maternal
• Ascension
• Messenger
• Hopefulness
• Purification

The Michael Platt ‘Dove’ logo used on all our jewel boxes is available in yellow or white gold as a pendant or brooch.

Getting engaged is a significant life event. Trying to choose the right engagement ring often presents itself as quite a difficult task, with the pressure of finding a ring that is just right.

Choosing a Ring

When choosing an engagement ring it is good to take into account the needs of your partner. Such as:

• The style of jewellery
• Overall Style: Modern or vintage?
• Colour of Jewellery: White or yellow metal?
• Choice of metal: Gold or Platinum
• Lifestyle or job which may influence the best style for practicality
• Which stone(s) to choose: some stones are less durable than diamonds and sapphires.

Michael Platt has been designing and creating bespoke jewellery and engagement rings for over 25 years. For more information, please contact us on info@michaelplatt.co.uk.

Remember the four C’s

If you are already searching for diamond engagement rings, it is likely that you have come across the term the ‘four C’s’. If you haven’t, let’s take a look at what they mean. This phrase refers to the grading of diamonds by carat, clarity, colour and cut.

Carat – which refers to the weight or size of the stone.

Colour – diamond colour is graded by letters with ‘D’ being topmost ‘colourless’  or white diamond colour.

Clarity – relates to the natural inclusions or ‘birthmarks’ of a diamond, the fewer the ‘birthmarks’ the rarer the stone. We recommend a minimum clarity of SI, (slightly included) or above, the highest option being F for a Flawless stone

Cut – this is of great importance as a diamond cut incorrectly (too shallow or too deep) can affect the brilliance of the Diamond.

Michael Platt will guide customers through the maze of information on diamonds; giving an understanding of the four ‘C’s; Cut, Carat, Clarity and Colour.  With a little background information, effective decisions can be made to achieve that dream diamond Engagement Ring for the budget set.  Although size (carat), clarity and colour are equally important and determined by nature, it is the skill and craft of the Diamond Cutter that will actually bring a diamond to ‘life’. Michael Platt places enormous emphasis on the importance of cut and also ‘polish’; if a diamond is not cut or polished to the highest of standards, no matter what the colour or carat, it just will not have an enduring sparkle.

Insurance policies

An engagement ring is a valuable piece of jewellery. With this in mind, it would be wise to consider insurance. You will usually need proof of purchase or a valuation in order to obtain an insurance policy.