Meet the Maker: James, Our Wonderful Hand Engraver
Tucked away in his tranquil home workshop in the beautiful Somerset countryside, you’ll find James—our master hand engraver. Quietly brilliant and deeply skilled, James has spent decades perfecting the kind of craftsmanship that’s becoming increasingly rare. He works the traditional way: patiently, precisely, and entirely by hand. Each letter is carved using a steel tool called a graver—shaped by eye, one at a time, with no machines or shortcuts.
Each letter is carved using a steel tool called a graver—shaped by eye, one at a time, with patience and precision
James developed a love for both art and metalwork from a young age. He studied Silversmithing and Jewellery at the Sir John Cass College of Art and Design in London, and it was there he began to specialise in traditional hand engraving. He went on to apprentice for five years under a renowned master engraver from Cartier. It was here he honed his craft, and during this time, won several awards at Goldsmiths’ Hall. Since then, James has engraved for Tiffany & Co., Cartier, and a long list of jewellers, perfume houses, and private clients.
Today, he works independently from his workshop in the South West. He engraves your Momento pendants with those words that mean the most to you as well as your initial pendants and treasured lockets. He’s a master of scale, detail, and—certainly—precision.
We started working with James because we wanted something different for our jewellery engraving—not just personalisation, but true craft. Our love of antique jewellery has always drawn us to pieces that bear the marks of time—monograms, inscriptions, names half-worn from wear. James carries that same spirit forward. Hand engraving doesn’t just customise a piece—it gives it history from the very start
On his bench sits a stack of old phone books—used to raise his engraving to just the right height. Once found in every household, now almost entirely obsolete, they prop up a skill that hasn’t really changed over the centuries. It’s a quiet contrast: something that was once essential—even iconic—now forgotten, supporting a tradition too precious for time to let go of
Hand engraving has a depth, a weight, a quiet richness that machine work simply can’t replicate
Hand engraving has a depth, a weight, a quiet richness that machine work simply can’t replicate. You can see the difference immediately. The lines, beautifully carved out, catch the light in a softer, more natural way. No two are ever exactly alike—and that’s what makes them special.
The craft of hand engraving is a connection to a skill and tradition that links us to the past—one that values care, time, and work done by hand.
Our bespoke engraved jewellery is designed and made to last a lifetime—with care, and by hand, just as it always has been.
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