Christmas is upon us, but fear not: Melanie Wakefield, managing director at luxury jewellers Wakefields, has some gift inspiration for the season. By Natalie Li
You may be reading this in a panic as you contemplate what to purchase for your loved ones this Christmas. Selecting a special piece of jewellery for your beloved is, for many, like entering into uncharted territory. You’d like to surprise someone, but rather than witnessing their crestfallen expression, you want their face to light up in sheer joy.
So, what do you need to achieve this? First things first, get inspiration from their existing jewellery collection, advises Melanie Wakefield, managing director of Wakefields Jewellers, who has more than 30 years’ experience in the jewellery industry.
“Look at what your loved one already wears,” she says. “Getting a hint from someone, or subtly showing them some ideas will help you to choose your piece whether it’s a bracelet, earrings, or a watch.
“For example, we have a range of unusual cufflinks made in gold vermeil, silver and rose gold. The best way to choose for your partner or husband is by looking at their watch or wedding ring and try to go down the same road by matching with what they have.”
For those seeking a slice of affordable luxury, Melanie suggests pieces by Shaun Leane, a jewellery designer who is best known for his sculptural pieces created for fashion icon Alexander McQueen, and one of the judges on BBC’s All That Glitters: Britain’s Next Jewellery Star.
“We are stocking Shaun Leane’s silver Blackthorn collection, which starts at £100 and it’s just beautiful, edgy, and unusual – plenty to inspire those seeking a perfect Christmas gift. Those looking for other affordable options can look to our diamond alphabet collection on pendants, which are under £300 – an elegant gift for this season,” continues Melanie, who is a qualified gemologist.
“We want our jewellery to be beautiful, kept forever and treasured, but it doesn’t have to cost the earth. We love to offer affordable luxury and we have a range of metals from silver, gold, rose gold, gold vermeil and yellow gold so the possibilities are endless.
“Enthusiasm for layered chains and bracelets is yet to cease and tiny hoop earrings are still hugely popular. We specialise in an ear wardrobe so there’s plenty of choice,” Melanie adds.
For those swept away by the romanticism of Christmas and seeking a dazzling ring before they pop the immortal question needn’t fret. There’s still time to sum up the depth of your affection and present a piece of jewellery to your loved one during the festive season.
“Christmas is big for proposals so it’s a super busy time for us,” reveals Melanie. “There is a real romance and nostalgia around it. It’s such an exciting time for us to help our clients to choose something perfect.
“Creating a bespoke engagement ring can typically take, from the date of order to the ring being finished, around six weeks,” Melanie adds. “But if you want to buy something immediately, we have the largest stocks of diamond rings in the south-east. If someone sees something they like, it’s easy to pick up and it’s ready to be worn – sizing is easy to amend in our workshop.
“Lab grown diamonds is another option – it’s affordable and we have a new collection called ‘Created’ by Brown & Newirth which features rings, pendants, and earrings. It’s very new to us but we felt it was necessary to offer more options to our clients.
“Finally,” ends Melanie, “it’s important with any jewellery purchase to make sure it can be returned if it’s not right. A risk-free option is always reassuring. At Wakefields we always give our customers that option.”
