First and foremost, during these challenging times, I’m thinking of all my lovely clients past and present and I hope you and your families are keeping well.

Staying safe and carrying on
There are many things more important in life than Jewellery.  Toilet paper, maybe, family and friends. As I sit alone in my living room / come office / come yoga studio, drinking bucket loads of water, I wanted to send you all a large virtual hug from a six-foot distance, wrapped in biodegradable clingfilm.

I'm not going to deny it; as a small business I’m pressing down on the anxiety of what might lay ahead, almost as hard as Boris is attempting to press down on that curve! After all, Jewellery sit’s a long way below hand-gel in your shopping list.

However, this won’t be forever and as we see many events being reassuringly rescheduled to future dates, I feel optimistic that we will all come out the other side better people as we reconnect with ourselves, the simple things in life, and what’s important.

So, I am marching on with future plans, which is to launch a new business called Loupe – more will be revealed soon.  In the meantime, I have several bespoke remodeling commissions on the go, which I’ll be merrily designing over the coming weeks, and of course I’m here to discuss any future jewellery needs you might have.  

It may not seem essential but having something nice to think about and look forward to for the future is a wonderful distraction. Maybe a treat for yourself or for someone else? Old jewellery you'd like transformed into something new? A wedding next year?  

And if the conversation is getting a little stale at home and your desperate to chat to another human, as I will be (there is only so much sense you can get out of four walls), then we can also chat via FaceTime, Whatsapp or Zoom!

Get creative
I’m in my 5th day of isolation, working from home, as are many of you, combating the urge to look at the news and Facebook hilarities about lack of loo roll and such like.  I have a to-do list as long as my arm, but if you’re fighting off the boredom and worry of the situation then I’d like to try and do my bit to help you through this time.

As I’ve left what feels like half my soul back in Hatton Garden collecting dust with my jewellery bench, I’m a bit limited as to what I can do. However, a few times a week I plan to connect with you via email, social media or blog post with little nuggets of facts and tips about jewellery and encourage you to also be creative, because with 54% of the UK using craft to relax and 28% to improve mental health, there is much evidence to suggest creativity is good to relieve anxiety and stress. I will be in touch as these plans unfold.

Support small business
In a week when we have seen billionaires like Richard Branson hold their hands out to the government for help whilst asking their employees (the very ones that have built their empire) to take unpaid leave, I think now is a really poignant time to reflect and see the value in supporting small businesses though this crisis, whether it’s an IOU from your local coffee shop, buying a gift voucher for a later purchase, or starting a conversation about a future bespoke piece of jewellery. 

As a small business owner, we all put our heart and soul into everything we do, we don’t make huge profits, we stay true to ourselves, we believe in what we do, and we value the people we work with and our customers.

That said, to all of you who are also small business owners and freelancers – hang on in there!

I will be in touch again in the next few days. In the mean time, thank you for your support and custom, not just through this period, but through the whole of my 20-year career.  

Stay safe and well everyone!
Amanda