In the Prenoa Workshop: The Journey of the Jeweller
September 2025 - Week 2
This week started by taking an inventory of what we needed to change up for the Autumn/Winter. As the light starts to wane and the days get colder, it's a stark reminder that summer has kissed our foreheads and gently slipped away until next year, and fight it as I might, it is time to succumb to the change of season and start gathering the fallen acorns off the dampened leafy ground, as the Prenoa oak lessens her grasp.
Once our inventory was taken, it was time to work out what we no longer needed in the workshop and the office and throw it out. Autumn is a great time (like Spring) according to Feng Shui to flush things out, to realign and to reassess what needs to be done. We certainly managed to clear out lots of packaging and plan the kinds of materials we will need for the months ahead. It's important to say, we always try to reuse whatever we can, giving it a new application if possible. Metals are certainly at the forefront and our offcuts are melted down and stored. Coins that didn't quite make the grade to sell, are used as spacers, washers and solder blocks. The copper coins can be used outdoors to deter slugs, hang as small bells to scare hungry pigeons from the vegetables.... and no doubt Paul will come up with more uses as time goes on!
Once we had made some space, Paul came to me with a proposition. We had been talking about a second plan chest, and he had found one he thought was perfect. So after a measure up, a few nods of the head and points of fingers about where it would go, we put in a good offer on a certain online auction and it was ours. She has been collected today and she will be known as Ophelia.
Ophelia will house our polished coins, as currently we have polished and unpolished in the same unit (Cecil, after Sir William Cecil or Lord Burghley). Together they will sit side by side like a vintage married couple and create extra work space once a solid oak top has been laid across. Operations will therefore run more smoothly and as the workshop expands, so too will our coin collection and our dreams.
In terms of actual work, our gorgeous 2.5mm round wire bangles are now all ready for a final polish. They will be online soon, as there's nothing more fabulous than the soft tinkle of coin bangles under wooly jumpers.
We have also been working on two new product lines, which Paul has pioneered and now they are in their third prototype stage, I think we could launch those in time for Christmas. Both are influenced by British past, and will be rich in story - that is all I shall say for now.
Each of these changes - from the letting go of summer and clutter, to the finding and welcoming of a new piece of furniture and getting our hands dirty in metal, has helped the transition into the cosier months and ended the week with gratitude and hope.
I hope you've had a lovely week and enjoy some nourishing broths, a warming fire and the sharp morning breath of autumn.
Shop our beautiful collection of jewellery and accessories here
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August 2025 - Week 2
We love the sunshine here in Stamford, it's been lifting our spirits and inspiring us this week as we do the last summer push before taking a short break.
It's been a great year so far, with a few ups and downs in the economy and platforms making unexpected changes, but all in all, we have made big leaps. The short videos from our filming day last month are now back from the videographers and we couldn't be more pleased. Our first time behind the cameras left us feeling exuberant and glad we did it.
We’ve been sketching by hand again, talking through how these ideas might be finished in precious metal. It’s always a curious balance — our research quietly shapes us, yet we’re fiercely protective of what makes Prenoa singular. The work keeps drawing me back to our core values and the early sketches from when it was just me at a spare-room desk. Often we rush towards the new and shrug off an awkward past like a coat that no longer fits, forgetting it may contain a meaningful crumb — a lesson, a thread — worth keeping for who we’ll become. Yes, I do a lot of thinking while cleaning coins, but when you’re surrounded by history, perhaps that reflection is only right.
In other areas, we've made quite a few new sterling silver hammered bangles for the launch that is scheduled to land on the website in time for Christmas. We have also sent some coins away for a secret collaboration, which will be shared in a month or so when they are back with us.
Wishing you late summer sunshine and a prosperous week. We will be back in September after a short trip to the south of France.