On The Fifth Day Of Business: The heartwarming story behind this husband-and-wife's jewellery startup

Is this not the most iconic, well-known line of Straight No Chaser’s ‘12 Days of Christmas’?

If you disagree, we’d have to protest. We probably wouldn’t be able to count all of the people who have belted out the words “five gold rings!” while listening to this song.

And we couldn’t speak to anyone else other than a jewellery business owner - or two - for the fifth slot of our 12 Days of Business feature.

We came across Yorkshire-based jewellery company Jacqueline & Edward to tie in nicely with the day of five gold rings. The duo behind the growing startup are husband-and-wife team Jacqueline and Mark.

Below, they’ve shared their story.

Can you give us an introduction on who you are and what your company does?

Mark: “I’m Mark and the other half of Jacqueline & Edward. A lot of people who call us ask if they are speaking with Edward which always brings a nostalgic smile to my face.

“That element of our company name is a tribute to my father, without whom I never would have found my love for gold, my first gold nugget, or come up with the idea of Jacqueline & Edward.

“I am the dude who you find pouring over the vivid colours of geological maps looking for the tell-tale clues of gold deposition, up to his neck in freezing cold rivers, beavering away in the workshop or putting pen to paper with the next idea.

“I absolutely love our company and as such, I literally live and breathe it. It represents everything which interests me in life: spending time with my wife and kids; bettering the environment; geology; artistic creation; business.

“The company is Jacqueline & Edward and, put simply, we are a family business who handcraft and sell ethical wedding rings and other jewellery which contains natural alluvial river gold from around the UK.”

Jacqueline: “I am Jacqueline, one half of husband-and-wife team Jacqueline and Edward. Together, we make wedding rings and other jewellery using only sustainably sourced recycled metals and natural river gold panned by Mark and his father, Edward.”

What has been your biggest achievement of 2019?

Mark: “Crikey, 2019 has been the craziest year of the business so far. It is hard to pin down one thing…

“Some of the highlights [include] involving into a Ltd company from our humble beginnings as a partnership run alongside our previous full time occupations; creating our first range of jewellery specific to re-foresting native woodland in Scotland; moving into lab-grown and ethical diamond set rings, moving into the business full-time.

“2019 marks the year we have really seen it take off in a way which allows to us support our family whilst making a tangible difference to the world around us.”

Jacqueline: “2019 been an amazing year and we have seen a few milestones, such as both myself and Mark going full time in our family business.

“Nothing has given me so much pleasure than seeing what was once an idea in Mark’s mind, grow into a thriving business and one of which we are so proud of on so many levels.”

If you could go back to the start of 2019 and tell yourself what you know now about your business, what would you say?

Mark: “Never put rubber in a kiln and then crank the temperature to 750 degrees… It is guaranteed to set your kiln on fire…”

Jacqueline: “Work hard to find the right partnerships with people who can achieve the objectives of the business. Have confidence in your gut feelings. Start planning for the Christmas rush earlier!”

What are your company’s plans for the new year (and decade) ahead?

Mark: “In all honesty, our plans for the coming year are to get through Brexit whilst not compromising the ethics and beliefs wrapped into our business.

“Ourselves and nearly all other small businesses we are talking to are feeling the effects of uncertainty in the market over the last couple of months and inevitably into 2020.

“As for the decade ahead, well that is another story. First and foremost, we want to leave space for organic ideas to flourish, because that is how our business was born and has evolved since it started.

“We do plan to create a vast woodland filled with native Scottish species to improve the indigenous ecological habitat and sequester carbon from the atmosphere, launch a jewellery line which focuses on generating capital to pick up plastic from beaches…”

Jacqueline: “In the immediate future, we’ve got our eyes on expanding our work with conservation charity Trees For Life as well as introducing a new line of ocean inspired jewellery that supports charities involved with removing plastic from our oceans.

“In the decade ahead, we want to be seen as the go to company for ethical jewellery whether it be for a wedding or a birthday gift, with our client base feeling proud that they are changing the world for the better in one small way or another… whether it be planting a tree [or] picking up plastic from beaches.”

How are you going to celebrate Christmas this year?

Mark: “With my wife and two young children, eating good food and drinking good wine in the company of friends and family. I can’t wait!”

Jacqueline: “With my husband and two young children as well as anyone else who wishes to join us around the Christmas dinner table.”