REBUS creates handcrafted signet rings and shares why these rings are so personal

It is real we adore symbolism and personalizing our jewellery. There are a lot of ways to do so, and signet rings have often performed their portion. The entire world has a newfound adore for them as developments build and our fondness for devoted or customized jewelry grows. Rebus is a enterprise specializing in signet rings and cufflinks. I sat down with Emmet Smith chatting about his attractive business.

I have been doing work in the jewellery trade since 1986. My first foray into the trade was at the Sir John Cass School of Art in Whitechapel, where by I spent a year studying jewellery layout and earning, stone placing, silversmithing, and hand engraving.

Emmeth Smith, REBUS

I quickly fell in enjoy with hand engraving I would entirely reduce myself in a miniature world I could create. I then started out a 5-yr apprenticeship with a firm in Hatton Back garden referred to as R.H. Wilkins. Very little did I know then I would go on to invest in that company twelve decades afterwards.

&#13

”I started Rebus in 2005, mainly owing to the irritation of currently being sent lousy-excellent signet rings to work on”

&#13

Also, RH Wilkins was a B2B enterprise. Possessing a workshop of particularly talented engravers, I needed to promote the artwork of hand engraving directly to the shopper who wears our jewellery. 

Rebus, a B2C jewellery model, authorized me to do just that. All my team enjoys doing the job carefully with our shoppers to produce actually imaginative artworks that we then seal and engrave into the piece of Rebus jewellery we have created for them. Each individual client in the keep is invited to our workshop, the place they meet up with the craftspeople producing their jewelry. They are normally extremely interested in the engraving course of action and are impressed at the element that can be obtained with just smaller handheld chisels (gravers).

This direct call with the consumer provides me (in particular as I spent two a long time in an out-of-sight workshop) and my workforce a great deal of enjoyment. 

We have really a substantial staff for an unbiased jewellery organization. The workshop is beneath the keep. Listed here we make and seal engrave the signet rings and other jewellery items. We have eight engravers, a single of which is nevertheless serving her apprenticeship. The apprenticeship lasts 4-5 decades, dependent on age and past practical experience. Our livery business, The Goldsmiths Corridor, indentures our apprentices and offers them and us lots of guidance. The jewelry trade is a tiny, incredibly supportive sector complete of expert craftsmen and artists.

We also have an in-residence creation office and a income and design crew that works with our clients to flush out their concepts and provide sketches.

Rachel, a person of the sales workforce, and a single of the engravers choose what we do on the highway to the US, where we set up trunk demonstrates in accommodations. They were being off to LA and West Hollywood in June and took appointments at The London Lodge.   

I presently invest a large amount of time dwelling in Crete and have obtained two pet dogs, a border collie (Kenny) and a combined-breed shepherd pet (Dolly). Both of those canines ended up deserted Dolly must have been 2-3 months old when I identified her in an olive grove. Kenny was close to a calendar year previous when I observed him operating close to a mountain highway. I suspect he escaped from his past owner. Unfortunately, in rural areas, the pet dogs are left tied up in olive groves or fields unwanted puppies are frequently discarded. 

This story is from Matthew Hart, 1 of our master engravers who is accompanying Rachel on the US trunk show, who experienced his puppy engraved on his own signet ring:

My mom had a fox terrier as a baby and generally required yet another. So one particular day, we found some fox terrier puppies for sale. Straight absent, we noticed Ted and experienced to have him. We named him ‘Ted’ since (other than searching like a teddy bear), I was looking at a lot of Father Ted at the time, and it was involving Ted or Doogle. Ted is now 6.

Signet Rings are pretty private I made a signet ring in memory of my father. 

This is my individual variation of a mourning ring in the spirit of Momento Mori (I already have one more signet ring that has the motto Momento Vivere ‘remember to live’ engraved into it). My father, Philip Smith (aka Dickie, Detsy, the Captain), died in 2019, and I made a decision to style a signet ring in his memory that I could have on day-to-day and keep in mind him.

The condition is a larger model of the Rebus Marquise, it is designed from 18K yellow gold, and I have made use of vitreous white and inexperienced/grey enamel.

On a person shoulder, I carved an ear. I took this notion immediately after visiting a museum in Berlin, where there is a long lasting ancient Egyptian exhibition. I figured out the Egyptians’ use of the ear as an icon was common in their artwork, wall carvings, and worn as amulets. These hearing or ‘Sacred Ears’ have been carved into walls of temples so that individuals would have the ear of their deity, to share a concept with the gods and goddess.

The symbolism of ear amulets is not always perfectly understood, but I like the version that it represents a particular person and is consequently connected to that individual. I often hum a tune or say a few phrases into ‘his ear’ it is a ease and comfort for me. Not to mention it would attractiveness to my Dad’s perception of humor and helps make me chuckle often.

I chose white enamel on the best surface area, as applied in regular Victorian memento mori jewelry. In just the white enamel are lifted gold letters that say ‘Not by Words and phrases.’ I was a bit of a tearaway, but he would often give me a hug in moments of difficulty. He did not need to have to say a term they ended up unnecessary. The stage also is component of the Latin motto where by I took the title Rebus from ‘Non verbis, sed Rebus,’ not by phrases but by strategies or visuals.

In the center of the ring is a darkish eco-friendly colored enamel, which references Eire Dad was a really happy Irishman. The use of white enamel all over eco-friendly presents the signet ring an physical appearance of an eye, a top quality that was not planned, but I’ve normally liked stunning issues.

Under the green enamel is an engraved picture of a door. Following Father died, I identified one of his notebooks. His initial and only entry was a sonnet he copied, which he may well have study from a person of his books. At the stop of the sonnet, he wrote it was just one of the most lovely poems he experienced examine. It is known as:

When I am dead and laid at previous to rest by Gamel Woolsey

There is a line: ‘As air that quickens at the opened door,’ which struck a chord with me, and of system, the image of a door is a impressive image and metaphor.

Our two hearts engraved into the doorway will need no clarification.

I have on this ring each and every working day. I’m not completed nonetheless. I have one more shoulder I could carve a single day, and I strategy to set a information inside of the shank. He cherished Neil Young, so perhaps a line from a single of his preferred tunes.

This signet ring is a reminder, a conversation, and a tribute to our really like. Father and son.

Gail and Sophie gifted every other a ring with their canine on it. Developed and built by Rebus

Certainly yes, our stone setter fosters rescue puppies and frequently brings them in. Also, Kate from the revenue workforce at times walks her dogs to operate. So, we have two upstairs on celebration and 1 downstairs. The Rebus shop is situated on a sector street (Leather-based Lane, in central London) that is effectively identified for its gorgeous food stalls. I wager the dogs like coming to do the job!