It’s a broad church, and each person will have their own preference, but we have tried to categorise our favourite five and why we like that particular maker. The focus here is on authentic handmade jewellery. If you like mainstream and mass produced jewellery, then you would be best looking elsewhere.

Handmade jewellery is a slow process involving unique technical skills as well as design creativity. It is slow made and sustainable.The price of handmade is, as it should be, more expensive than much of the mainstream jewellery you can buy. Most of these are components or entire designs that are computer generated and churned out in factories in huge quantities. There is nothing special or unique in buying mass produced.

So why is handmade expensive?
Let us start with a question – what would you, as a skilled professional or tradesperson, accept as an hourly rate to simply show up for work?

I don’t know a qualified carpenter/joiner who will work for less than £35 per hour. Jewellers tend to cost less than that, simply because many creatives struggle to charge for their true and worth.

So, for example, let us say they charge at a rate of take only £20- £25 per hour. Then let us say that to design and make you a particular necklace it took 6 hours in total. That’s £120- £150 for time alone, before you add the cost of silver, gold, gemstones etc. On top of the material costs, there are all the other aspects and overheads involved with running a small business; website costs, training, tools, packaging, electricity, heating, rental of space, time to do all the social media, website updates etc etc. One-of-a-kind pieces will cost more, where pieces that are replicated casts of an original design should cost less.

So, when you are looking to buy handmade, approach it with this in mind. I’ll put money on the fact that you are actually being undercharged the true cost for time and materials. I’d say most jewellers end up paying themselves closer to the the minimum wage, with many barely breaking even.

So, let us give you a few small handmade Scottish jewellery brands, and why we like them so much. All images are property of the respective jewellers.

1. Boho Silver
Inspired by the wild Scottish seascape, Boho silver captures something of the organic textures and mood of the West coast of Scotland.The colours of the ocean, stormy seas, the seaweed and tideline, all their designs are unique and evocative. They describe their work as elemental, and that describes it well. They have design pieces inspired by the sea, but also some that are tied to Scottish folklore tales of selkies. They also incorporate Scottish sea glass that they collect from the shores of Scottish beaches.

A mother and daughter team, their work is quite unlike anything seen elsewhere. If you love organic jewellery that captures the Scottish landscape and particularly those beautiful ocean vistas of the Scottish Highlands and Islands, then you might find exactly what you want here.

2. Sophia Hargreaves Jewellery
Sophia has a history working with some big jewellery brands, but she now works exclusively on her own designs in both silver and gold. If you have heirloom pieces of jewellery you don’t wear, or gemstones from old pieces of jewellery, Sophia is wonderful in helping you to redesign a piece of jewellery you will love. A traditional goldsmith, her work is neat and precise, and will appeal to those who prefer clean lines and a contemporary feel.
With many techniques available to her, she can design using computer CAD design or hand forge, depending on the look you want, and will often produce a silver template ring before casting in gold.

3.Eleanor Symms Jewellery
If you like sustainable and recycled, Eleanor has put together a collection of really pretty and original pieces of jewellery from reclaimed materials she scavenges. Reclaimed plastics washed up by the tide, or scraps of sheet materials. She is committed to sustainability and the circular economy. The result is contemporary and unusual jewellery that is both colourful and interesting to look at, as well as being good for the planet.

4.Stella Stokes Jewellery
In a tiny workshop Stella makes chunky sterling silver bracelets, necklaces and bangles with fabulously textured charms. Stars, pebbles, sea motifs and hearts. This is where silver jewellery and grunge meet. There is something very broadly appealing to her work, and it is refreshing to find simple and beautiful designs that are understated.

5.Celina Rupp Jewellery
Celina is clearly heavily influenced by Orkney, her island home. Her work is unique and precise in detail, with a number of collections that tap into different aspects of island life; Celtic, Creel, Autumn Leaves & Winter Frost. Each is pleasingly unique and different, and there is an organic fluidity to the designs.The designs have simplicity and clarity, and capture aspects of Scottish island life.