Rachel Elizabeth Wood: Lancashire based bespoke jeweller

Rachel Elizabeth Wood runs a busy jewellery studio creating beautiful pieces and leading workshops and experience days to share her skills.

But the item reached for most often in her Scorton studio isn’t a tool or piece of machinery, but a box of tissues.

‘We hear a lot of sad stories,’ Rachel says. ‘We see a lot of wedding bands, pearls, diamonds or stones inherited from grandmothers and great-grandmothers and we can take those sentimental pieces and re-use them. Sometimes we re-use the metal and other times we keep an aspect of the design of the original piece.

‘On one occasion a woman came to us ahead of her wedding. He mum had died and she brought some of the jewellery she had inherited from her and we were able to re-purpose the precious metals to create a piece that was wrapped in huge sentimental meaning.’

Rachel’s British Jewellery Studio has also been asked to create pieces use something even more personal than a loved one’s jewellery – their ashes.

‘We had a young wedding couple booked on a jewellery experience day and one of them died before the wedding,’ she says. ‘We used some of her ashes to create a diamond which was set in a pendant her wife could wear every day.

Rachel Elizabeth Wood has worked with some of the biggest names in fashion (Image: Courtesy of Rachel Elizabeth Wood Jewellery) ‘Jewellery carries a lot of meaning and it has done for centuries. It means so much to us to be able to create these precious pieces that will last for generations and which will be so important to people.’

Rachel’s career began work for an interior designer in Chorley before she enrolled in Liverpool Hope University’s general design course, and a love for jewellery and metalwork emerged.

Following graduation, she notes she was talent-spotted by Bishopsland, a prestigious goldsmithing and silversmith school in Reading who take about 12 people internationally a year.

While she was there, Rachel underwent a year of intensive training in master goldsmithing and silversmithing. Through the course she met fashion design legend Vivienne Westwood and went on to work for her in London, but had always intended to return to Lancashire at some point.

'I was on a train heading home for Christmas, still working for Vivienne, and I thought, “God, I’ve not seen grass for like six months. Now’s the time to move back to Lancashire and start off on my own”.’

'It was a big move, but I don’t regret it. Moving back has been fantastic and allowed me to build something away from London. If you’re in design, everyone has to start there – it’s the hub of the jewellery design industry.

‘A lot of people who have moved to London for their careers have always planned to return to the north.’

Rachel has worked with some of the biggest names in fashion and her pieces have been worn by royalty and celebrities and have also been exhibited at the British Museum and the V&A.

Rachel is an expert in goldsmithing and silversmithing (Image: Courtesy of Rachel Elizabeth Wood Jewellery) Now she is helping others feel the joy of making their own special pieces of jewellery.

Since its launch in 2012, the British Jewellery School, at Wyresdale Park Country Estate, has attracted clients from across the country and consistently sells out its workshops.

It offers a range of jewellery-making workshops, including wedding band making and designing your own engagement ring. It has proved so popular she has opened a studio in Bristol and plans to add more in London and Sheffield by the end of the year.

‘Part of the reason for launching the British Jewellery School was to offer professional training in the north to enable to people working in the industry up here to develop their skills. While I was in London I worked for some top people and I got to know a lot of people who I have been able to approach to teach on our day courses.

'I’m really lucky. I’ve got a fantastic team around me; they’ve been with me for a long time. And they’re some of the best in the business. I could name drop until the cows come home, the list of people they’ve worked for.

'I don’t think people always realise when they come on the making days, who’s standing in front of them.

'Lancashire is home, and I’m so proud we’ve made a thriving business in Lancashire. Now, it’s not just Lancashire-based; we’ve got clients around the world, and many clients travel to Lancashire to come and see us fly the flag for Lancashire.’

The British Jewellery School has already started to win awards (Image: Courtesy of Rachel Elizabeth Wood Jewellery) The British Jewellery School at least partly came about because she found herself home alone on her mum’s birthday during the Covid pandemic. ‘We had a phone conversation about all the things we wanted to do once the world returned to normal.

‘And we made a pact to forgo traditional gifts for Christmas and birthdays and instead create and preserve memories. My mum and I always have a day out together and it usually involves some nice food and drink.’

* To find out more, go to britishjewelleryschool.com.