Last month we made the most significant custom jewellery.  A new customer tracked me down and asked me to make her some jewellery. As I recall, when we sat down, we didn’t start off with an object in mind, it could have been a ring, a bangle, or a pendant.

The customer, let’s call her ‘Mary’ (not her real name), wanted me to make something because ‘I put emotion and feeling into jewellery’. She had done her research and knew ‘I sometimes ask some pretty revealing questions’.

As we sat down I realised this was a very hard conversation for ‘Mary’. A most personal and private journey. Tears were being fought back.

‘Mary’ wanted to make a piece of custom jewellery that reflected her love for her family and the passing of one her children. Mary’s middle child was still born.

As she talked all I kept feeling was the gravity of the event and how the most important thing in her life was her family. Caring for them, holding them, and keeping them safe.

We talked a lot, and it emerged that she had some stones that reflected her children’s birthstones, and from this I kept creating and illustrating the clasping of the stones in the hand. The feeling of holding, nurturing and protecting the family.

What we made was a piece of custom jewellery that could be worn as a necklace or a bracelet. And it signifies keeping her family safe. All their birthstones are safely encapsulated into this object and can be seen once the object is unscrewed. This egg, or plump olive, is made from silver and the three separate parts are perfectly matched. There is a small Ruby at one end and a small Sapphire at the other, the birthstones of both the ‘Mary’ and the father. The object is also embroidered very subtly with the Robert Young Sculpture signature love motif, which was yellow gold infilled.

When making it, the name of “Satellite of Love,” kept coming up as we made it. So the name stuck. And I am honoured to have made such an important Object Of Love for Mary. Satellite of Love is more important than the Crown Jewels.