This year marks the 50th anniversary of working as a goldsmith, silversmith and jewellery designer for Frome based Stephen Thomas.

Stephen trained in London in the 1970s as a Goldsmith and Silversmith at Sir John Cass College, Whitechapel.

He went on to be apprenticed to various prestige UK businesses such as Wakely & Wheeler, carrying out contract work for companies such as Asprey and Mappin & Webb before setting up his own Jewellery Design business in Bath ( Apoidea in Broad Street, Bath) and then finally moving to Frome in 2001 where he started what is now Marchbank Jewellery Design Ltd.

Stephen’s training from renowned goldsmiths and silversmiths at Sir John Cass College meant he could turn his hand to a variety of commissions and repair work for a diverse range of clients.

He has undertaken commissions for heritage organisations such as The Royal Bath & West Society, The Royal Smithfield, and the The Worshipful Company of Gunmakers.

Stephen has also designed and made beautiful silver chalices for local churches and designed items for Bath Abbey as well as carrying out specialist restoration work on silver crosses and other antique Silver artefacts such as Georgian Tea and Coffee pots.

His work for the antique trade and heritage companies has brought in a variety of unusual items - from a solid silver Bull trophy with gold plated horns, to a beautiful ornate Georgian antique, Bacchus design wine coaster in silver gilt.

However, the main focus of Stephen’s day to day work in his busy goldsmith’s workshop in the heart of Frome’s bustling Cheap Street, is making thousands of commissioned pieces of beautiful, bespoke jewellery for customers.

Stephen started making rings for customers at the age of 16, from simple silver and gold rings to more intricate pieces as he developed his skills and range of materials that he could worked with.

Stephen sets all his own stones and can remodel existing jewellery as well as design new pieces working one to one with clients to create a truly unique piece of jewellery that will last for generations.

His workshop is always busy and he hand fabricates each item in the workshop. It can be painstaking work, from setting tiny 0.2mm diamonds to forging beautiful hand made gold and silver chains. No two days are the same and the nature of the work means new challenges arise every day.

Stephen loves the variety of his work; from setting diamonds in fine jewellery to working on antique Georgian silver, Stephen has built a busy and successful business with many happy customers. Stephen is a member of the National Association of Jewellers and is a registered Fair Trade Goldsmith.

Over the years Stephen has made and collected a variety of indispensable tools for his craft. This is truly heritage industry work - the ability to hand craft jewellery is sadly a dying art, what with new technology such as 3D laser printers, CAD design and better casting techniques.

Stephen is more old school, actually making a lot of the tools needed to make the beautiful, bespoke and truly hand made jewellery that he crafts. The tools required for traditional gold-smithing are as varied and unique as the final designs he has created over the years.

His ability to make up specific tools for a specific job is a skill that has helped Stephen establish and grow his business and gain a very good regional reputation for the variety of work that he is able to undertake, in no small part due to the fact he can make and repair things by hand that cannot easily be undertaken by a 3D printer or CAD design. The skills of hand fabrication and the attention to detail that is required is a more analogue way of producing beautiful jewellery and carefully designed and executed pieces.

Such skills are in even more high demand now as customers are more discerning and want something truly handmade, bespoke and unique. The care and attention to detail that only a hand fabricated piece of jewellery designed through one to one commissioning process can offer, seems to be what customers prefer rather than mass produced, environmentally damaging, manufactured jewellery.

Stephen is a registered Fair-trade Goldsmith. So all of the clean gold used in new designs is Fair trade and he also uses recycled gold and silver and only ever uses traceable, non conflict diamonds in his designs. Remodelling and recycling jewellery is another great way to help reduce the environmental impact of the jewellery trade and something that Stephen has done since the 1970’s.

When we asked what Stephen likes best about working in Frome this is what he told us:

‘ Frome has a great community of independent traders. There are other goldsmiths and jewellers here but we all try and help each other out and there is a great supportive atmosphere which makes Frome unique as a place to run a business. There isn’t the rivalry you would find in other towns and cities between competing businesses. I think the fact is we all offer something different and unique, so we can be supportive of each other.”

And when we asked what has been the most enduring, positive take away from his 50 years working in the jewellery business Stephen said:

“My customers! over the years they have been amazing. There is nothing more satisfying, and humbling, than to be asked to make something precious; a token of love to be given on a special day, a wedding ring, or even memorial jewellery to remember a loved one. As a goldsmith we see it all from cradle to grave, its is a very human thing to want to symbolise love in all its forms in a piece of jewellery to be passed on, an object that can withstand the passage of time and symbolise enduring love. One of the first gold rings I ever made I was asked to hand engrave it with the inscription ‘ A ring hath no end, like my love unto my friend’ - a 17th century inscription. This shows the enduring power and symbolism of a ring in our culture. The tradition of exchanging rings dates back 3000 years - I’m still making more rings than any other item of jewellery today!”

Marchbank Jewellery Design Ltd are running some great give away prize draws to celebrate Stephen’s Golden Anniversary this year - please check out their instagram page for details.

At Marchbank Jewellery Design Ltd we ensure that our jewellery is ethically and sustainably sourced.

We work with carefully selected companies and suppliers who follow guidelines for Ethical and Sustainable practice and that includes working with producers who follow those guidelines too.

Here's more information on how we are keeping our business ethical and sustainable, reducing our carbon footprint where possible and contributing to wild-life friendly schemes.

We are members of the Fair Trade registration scheme for Goldsmiths

We use Fair Trade Gold and Recycled Gold

We use Eco-Silver and Recycled Silver

We melt down and remodel jewellery for customers which also helps reduce carbon foot print and is an ethical and sustainable way to have new jewellery.

All of the materials used in our jewellery are ethically and responsibly sourced

Many of our suppliers are members of The Responsible Jewellery Council.

This is the global membership and standards body for responsible jewellery throughout the entire supply chain – from mine to retail. 

Their ‘Code of Practice’ references key development frameworks, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, ILO Principles and UN Global Compact and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

We are selective with our suppliers

We only use suppliers who align with our ethical practices and sustainability goals.

Part of our sourcing methods are not just about the product, but what the suppliers are doing to sustain the planet.

Packaging

We now only use paper bags and acid - free tissue and our packaging for boxes is made from recycled card.

We also support the following charities:

Avon Wildlife, Woodland Trust, RSPB, Plant Life, Peoples Trust For Endangered Species, The British Red Cross, Dorothy House (Hospice care) Cancer Research UK, MIND, British Heart Foundantion, Alzheimer’s Society and Meningitis Now & Action for M.E.

So following government guidelines our Frome shop closed on 3rd November 2020, but we are hoping to re-open on December 3rd if we get the go ahead! For now please contact us using the workshop email if you have jobs being carried out by our goldsmith - marchbankdesign@aol.com and for any website enquiries please use the contact form on this website.

Please bear with us while we try and update the website - some items have sold out and some prices have changed. The page you are looking for may temporarily be removed but we hope to have it all up and running smoothly by December. Looking forward to seeing our lovely customers again soon!

We reopened our Frome shop last week and can now take new jewellery commissions, repairs and remodelling orders once again!

We operate on a one customer in store at a time basis ( 2 people can come in if from the same household) and we ask our customers to wear masks if you have them and use the hand sanitiser we provide.

We also wear masks and we clean and disinfect all surfaces after each customer to keep everything as safe as we can for customers, staff and our families.

We are also very excited to be launching the new ‘Gather a dream’ Collection from Alex Monroe in July! The beautiful ‘Ray of Hope’ necklace here in silver and gold plate is part of the new stock we will have from Alex’s collection in store from early July.

We are continuing to offer delivery service to people within 5 mile radius and we can post items out to customers and accept repair jobs via post. Payments can be made by BACS or over the phone or in store.

There is a queuing system to enter the shop however you do not always need to queue, but please bear with us while we all adjust to the new system.

A huge thank you to all our loyal customers who have been calling in with their jobs and to collect items, we are so grateful for all your support!

New stock is coming in shortly and we will be updating the website soon. For more up to date news about new collections please do visit our Instagram page. There you will also see any promotions and offers we have.

Happy Summer Shopping!

#alexmonroejewellery #handmade #fairtrade #gold #silver #bespoke #goldsmithing #ethicalfashion #shoplocal #shopfrome

Since 23rd March 2020 our Frome shop has been closed to customers because of Government restrictions due to Corona Virus Pandemic. There have been no new sales and we have been trying to complete commissions and repairs that were booked in prior to the lock down behind locked doors in our workshop.

We have temporarily closed the business to protect staff and customers. We hope to be back up and running within a month or so. Please check social media and website for updates.

We hope to restart the online sales earlier than the shop re-opening so we may be able to offer a limited service from later in May. Please email if you need further details or advice.

Thank you for your custom and support!

Stay safe, keep happy and see you in a month or two!

love from us all at Marchbank Jewellery Design Ltd.xxx

As a responsible company we have had to issue some guidelines for staff and customers regarding the recent CORONA VIRUS outbreak. Here are our basic precautions, but please check with Public Health England and NHS for full medical advice. Thank you for being considerate to our staff and other customers!

PRECAUTIONS:

Early evidence suggests the corona virus mainly spreads through respiratory droplets that float through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Those droplets can either land on you, or they can fall onto a surface where they can survive for some time.

Normal Viruses can survive for 48 hours on hard surfaces, but corona virus can survive up to nine days according to some recent research.

Always use a tissue to sneeze into or cough into, the Corona Virus has a sticky coating and will stick to the tissue, this must be binned straight away, do not keep used tissues in your hand, pocket or elsewhere as you are just spreading the virus.

We are washing down all the public surfaces that are in daily use.

Public surfaces are known hotspots for dangerous bacteria and germs. Most disinfecting wipes can kill up to 99.9% of germs. However, COVID-19 is a lipid-containing virus, which means it can be easily killed with cleaning down with bleach-based cleaning or using normal surface cleaners, but anti-bacterial wipes wont necessarily kill it.

Health experts are also recommending using alcohol or bleach-based wipes rather than antibacterial disinfectants.

The most important thing is to wash your hands thoroughly and frequently.

If using bleach to clean surfaces: Most people don’t give bleach enough time to work so if you use it, even in diluted solution for cleaning surfaces, apply it, let it sit for a while, then wipe it clean.

Hand sanitiser (that’s at least 60% alcohol) is not as good as hand-washing, but it’s the next best thing, but you really need to lather it on and rub it in and around your hands and fingers to destroy all the bacteria. Do not put this on your face or near your eyes.

Symptoms:

So far the advice is that if you get a high temperature and cough or trouble breathing you must stay at home and call 111 for advice. Runny nose or sneezing is less associated with this particular strain of virus, but the research is not conclusive.

If in any doubt stay away from public places and call for advice.

Please note: We have to protect our staff and their families as well as other customers. Please do not come into the shop if you have a virus or cold. Call us and we may be able to arrange a delivery or collection for you and we may ask you to wait and come back in when you are better to collect a job. We can also arrange payments over telephone and by BACS for safety.

We are working on some fabulous customer commissions in Fair trade fortnight using Fair trade gold and ethical diamonds as well as other precious stones. Watch our Instagram feed for the new designs! Buy Fair trade and make a difference to peoples lives!

Sapphire: Birth stone of the Month for September.

The stone is a particular favourite for engagement rings, for the pragmatic reason that it is the second hardest mineral after diamond – it will resist abrasion from daily wear better than most other gemstones. That doesn’t mean sapphire cannot be damaged though – all jewellery should be kept in their boxes when not worn, to keep the stones in pristine condition.

Corundum is the mineral name for sapphire and ruby. The Latin word ‘saphirus’ and the Greek word ‘sapheiros’, both meaning blue, is where the name is thought to have originated, although many ancient cultures did not have a word for ‘blue’, therefore green, brown, yellow and blue varieties of corundum would all have been referred to as sapphire.

Some believe that the name sapphire is derived from its association with the planet Saturn. The name can be roughly be translated to mean “dear to the planet Saturn” in many different languages. Sapphires have been prized as great gemstones since 800BC.

Today all gem quality corundum, other than the red variety we call ruby, is referred to as sapphire. The description of the colour forms part of the name, and so we have pink sapphire, green sapphire and purple sapphire.

One of the most highly prized ‘fancy’ colours is Padparadscha sapphire, a stunning, rare, pinkish-orange variety named after the Sinhalese word for lotus blossom. This particular colour is unique among gemstones and was the much-admired choice of stone in Princess Eugenie’s engagement ring.

In fact pure corundum is colourless. Chemically it consists of aluminium-oxide and the colour variations are due to combinations of trace elements – including iron, titanium and vanadium – contained within the trigonal crystal structure as impurities.

The majority of sapphires are heat-treated – gem quality sapphires which don’t require treatment are incredibly rare and valuable.

Usually carried out at the mine, heat treatment has been used for hundreds of years to improve the colour, remove colour zoning and improve clarity.

Star sapphires contain tiny needle-like inclusions of rutile, which create the effect of a white star that appears to float over the surface of the stone when it is moved under the light. The phenomenon is known as asterism and being relatively rare these stones are greatly sought after.

Sapphire is found in many different locations around the world including the UK. Although the stones found in the UK whilst geologically relevant, are extremely rare and not commercially viable!

Specific colours are often associated with particular localities: Australia, Thailand and Nigeria tend to produce dark inky-blue varieties, while by contrast Montana sapphires occur in a full range of colours, usually of a more pastel hue. The pale steely bluish green colour is highly prized and unique to the area.

A large proportion of sapphires on the market today are from Sri Lanka, Madagascar and Mozambique. As is the case with the majority of coloured gemstones, sapphires are traded internationally and change hands many times before arriving in the jeweller’s window, making precise origin very difficult to determine.

The demand for coloured gemstone jewellery is on the increase and sapphires with their array of fabulous colours and their superior durability, make an excellent choice, for statement, fashionable jewellery as well as engagement rings.

In Medieval times Sapphire was believed to protect the wearer from harm, while also representing trust and loyalty.

We have some stunning Sapphire jewellery for sale this September, but we can also make any design you would like if you would like to commission a bespoke design from our Goldsmith and Jeweller Stephen Thomas.

Do call in or message us for more information.

August claims two birthstones; Peridot (shown in image below) and Spinel ( above).

Peridot, with it’s signature lime green colour, is believed to give power and influence in the wearer. Spinel is available in a brilliant range of colours and is believed to protect the owner from harm and soothe away sadness.

Peridot, also known as the “Evening Emerald’ is one of the few gemstones that exists in only one colour; a distinctive signature lime green. In ancient times it was believed that Peridot was a gift of Mother Nature to celebrate the annual creation of a new world.

When presented as a gift, Peridot is said to bring the wearer magical powers and healing properties to protect against nightmares. It is also said to give the wearer power and influence.

Today, most Peridot comes from Arizona but it is also found in China, Myanmar, and Pakistan.

Although peridot is widely recognised by its brilliant lime green glow, the origin of this gemstone’s name is unclear. Most scholars agree that the word “peridot” is derived from the Arabic ‘faridat’ which means “gem,” but some believe it’s rooted in the Greek word ‘peridona’, meaning “giving plenty.” Perhaps that’s why peridot was, according to lore, associated with prosperity and good fortune.

Peridot is the rare gem-quality variety of the common mineral olivine, which forms deep inside the Earth’s mantle and is brought to the surface by volcanoes. In Hawaii, peridot once symbolised the tears of Pele, the volcano goddess of fire who controls the flow of lava. Rarely, peridot is also found inside meteorites. Much of it's ancient lore revolves around love and passion, and bringing good fortune to lovers and others for the year to come.

Peridot’s signature green colour comes from the composition of the mineral itself—rather than from trace impurities, as with many gemstones. That’s why this is one of few gemstones that only comes in one colour, though shades may vary from yellowish-green to olive to brownish-green, depending how much iron is present.

Spinel

The spinel is often mistaken either a ruby or pink sapphire, as it can resemble either.

In fact, some of the most famous rubies in history have turned out to be spinel. But its distinguishing features, like its octahedral crystal structure and single refraction, are what sets it apart from other gemstones. Spinel also has a lower Mohs hardness than ruby and sapphire.

Significant deposits of spinel have been found in Cambodia, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. It has also been found in Afghanistan, Australia, Brazil, Madagascar, Nepal, Nigeria, Tadzhikistan, Tanzania and the U.S.

Vivid red is the most desirable colour of spinel gemstones. In addition to beautiful rich reds, Spinel can be found in shades of orange and beautiful pastel pink, as well as purple and even blue.

Cobalt Blue Spinel is a very special gemstone because it is one of the few that occur naturally. While all Spinels are increasing in popularity, it is the blue variety that is starting to attract attention of savvy gemstone buyers. Unlike the other blue gemstones such as Sapphire, Tanzenite and Aquamarine, there is no known treatments for Spinel. This means that every Spinel is completely natural and free from any modifications by man. The red spinel is still the most commonly found and desirable colour and for fiery August seems most appropriate as a birthstone.

Ancient Sanskrit writings refer to Spinel as the ‘daughter of ruby’. The bright red colour of Spinel is so closely related to the Ruby the two of them are often confused with one another. Spinels are actually more rare than ruby but, unlike ruby, they sometimes can be found in very large sizes.

Believed to protect the owner from harm, to reconcile differences, and to soothe away sadness the Spinel is a popular choice for August birthdays.

And a follow up on our ethical newsletter in July…

One of our main suppliers of gold is switching to even more ethically sourced material!

Using both Fair Trade and raw Gold products from ‘Single Mine Origin’ means we can be more sure of the ethical credentials of the materials we use in the designs made in our workshop here.

So what is ‘Single Mine Origin (SMO) gold’?

Simply put it is gold that has come from a single, responsibly run gold mine

• SMO gold is kept separate from other gold all the way along the supply chain from mine to finished product. The chain of custody for every gram of this gold is documented and audit-able.

• The mines that SMO gold comes from have to meet strict ethical, environmental and health and safety standards.

• Hardly any gold used in the jewellery industry or for investment products is currently traceable and where it is, it tends to be much more expensive. SMO gold is not sold for a premium.

• SMO aims to give jewellers and consumers a more responsible option without having to pay a premium.

SMO gold originates from conflict free mining operations where employed miners are being paid a fair wage and work in safe conditions.

Not only this but the communities in the surrounding area to the mine benefit from sustainability initiatives focussed on improving education, healthcare, safe drinking water, general infrastructure and improving livelihoods.

The provenance of gold is becoming increasingly important to the end consumer and we can provide customers with peace of mind by using SMO gold (Single Mine Origin). SMO gold has an audit-able chain of custody from source to finished product. We can offer assurance that SMO gold has originated within the strict parameters of corporate, social and environmental responsibility.

We are a Fair Trade shop and our goldsmith Stephen Thomas, is always mindful of this when sourcing materials. We use Fair Trade gold whenever possible, recycled gold and silver and ethically sourced precious and semi-precious stones.

Stephen re-models existing jewellery and can melt down and make into something new your old unworn gold, silver, or platinum jewellery. We are signed up to the Fair Trade charter and we have a Fair Trade Gold Ambassador.

As consumers of jewellery there is a lot we can all do to ensure the environmental and ethical impact of the jewellery industry is more inline with our global aspirations of fairer trade, greener and more environmentally safe practices and, most importantly, reducing carbon emissions.

Buying from verified sustainable sources can be challenging in this industry; the supply chain from source to designer can be difficult to trace, with material passing through multiple hands before reaching the design phase.

However goldsmiths and designers can circumvent this problem by using recycled metals and recycled gemstones. This cuts down hugely on environmental costs. Using Fair Trade gold also brings benefits to the communities who produce that gold.

This approach is far better for the environment than to only use newly mined gold or silver or to rely on synthetic gemstones as an environmental option.

The issue of synthetic gemstones in the jewellery industry is contentious.

You may think at first that a lab grown, synthetic diamond is more ethical and less environmentally damaging, but did you know that the process requires huge amounts of heat, especially for growing gemstones such as diamonds, which uses a significant amount of energy?

The level of carbon intensity needed for a lab-grown diamond is enormous, as is its impact on the environment.

In comparison to a natural diamond, a single, polished carat of synthetic diamond takes more than 500kg of CO2 to produce.

However, a single, polished carat of natural diamond takes just over 150Kg of CO2 to produce.

Members of RapNet, the world’s largest diamond trading network, voted overwhelmingly against introducing services for synthetic diamonds, and the decision wasn’t as you may have assumed, just a financial one. The environmental impact was also a factor in that decision.

Big business will be forced to make more environmentally sustainable decisions like this going forward as governments globally bring pressure to bear on those industries that have the most negative impact on our environment, and rightly so.

We never use synthetic diamonds. We recycle diamonds, or buy from diamond suppliers who can trace their stones and are all ethically sourced.

Knowing the environmental impact of raw material choices is crucial, and needs to be part of the jewellery industry at all levels.

From improving the overall environmental impact of our industry, to being able to connect with customer demand for more ethical and environmentally-aware supply chains on the retail shop floor, it has never been more essential for jewellery designers, makers and consumers to do all we can to achieve better ethical practices with a much lower environmental impact and a greener, more sustainable future.

Hello lovely customers, just to let you know we are updating our website and putting on new stock so please bear with us while we get that up to date.

Some items have been discontinued and some may be out of stock, when ordering please bear in mind that our stock lines will not be able to update quickly so you may be notified that your item is no longer available.

We apologise for any inconvenience but please do bear with us as we have some lovely new stock to show you.!

We are also offering a discounted postage and packing service of a flat rate of just £3.95 on all orders.

We hope to have everything up and running by July!

We're loving the Entomology collection from Alex Monroe, inspired by nature. These beautiful earrings are the 'Duke of Burgundy' butterfly. A small, springtime butterfly found only in England. 

The earrings feature a small cluster of buds and a Tsavorite gem set in Alex's unique bud setting.

The earrings measure approximately 2 cm by 2 cm. and are available in sterling silver or 22ct yellow gold plate. They are great value for a hand made piece of jewellery at only £270.00 including VAT.

We are stockists for Alex Monroe jewellery and you can buy this item from us in the shop or call us directly to place an order.

 All Alex Monroe jewellery is handmade in the UK too!.