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About All that Glitters
All that Glitters is a competition to find the UK’s most brilliant jeweller. It airs on BBC 2 annually. The challenge explores the wildly different styles and aesthetics that can be found across different types of jewellery. Every episode is bursting with science, history, innovation and culture, with contestants challenged to create an array of jewellery, with pieces inspired by the world’s most famous and coveted designs, to Ancient Egyptian styles.
Each episode of All that Glitters see's the jewellers face two real-world challenges. The first challenge is 'The Best Seller', where the jewellers are tasked to design the latest must-have piece that will get everyone talking. The second challenge is 'The Bespoke', where they create a one-off piece for very special clients from all walks of life! From spinner rings to mismatched earrings, engagement rings to hairpins, a wide variety of exquisite masterpieces are created every week, to be judged by award-winning UK designers.
The 2022 series was hosted by comedian Katherine Ryan, and judged by renowned jewellery designers Shaun Leane and Dinny Hall. Here at Deacons, we take a particular interest in All that Glitters due to our in-store and online collection of Shaun Leane Jewellery. Shaun Leane and Dinny Hall have continued to rise to fame amid their appearance as judges on All that Glitters, sharing their expert knowledge and excellent know-how throughout the show.
More About All that Glitters Judges
Shaun Leane - Shaun Leane is an award winning jewellery designer who has a breadth of knowledge and experience in the jewellery industry that spans over 35 years. He is known for redefining the standard of British jewellery design, combining unique innovation with exquisite craftsmanship. The inventive collections of Shaun Leane, as well as his unconventional twist, have labelled his work as ground-breaking and iconic. Discover the Shaun Leane Collection at Deacons Jewellers.
Dinny Hall - Dinny Hall is a British designer who has crafted women’s designer jewellery for over three decades, delivering a modern, confident, but subtle luxury. She is best known as an entrepreneur, and founder of the eponymous Dinny Hall Jewellery, and is a real inspiration for women paving their own way in the jewellery industry!
The art of Jewellery Making
All that Glitters gives viewers a detailed insight into the process surrounding how jewellery is made. This includes an understanding of the tools, skills, preparation and overall production involved in jewellery making. Of course, what we see during each episode is only a fragment of the detailed, refined process, as well as the extraordinary hard-work that goes into jewellery making. So, how is jewellery made?
Casting
Throughout the show, All that Glitters takes you behind the scenes of Jewellery crafting, exploring the journey of how raw materials are turned into something beautiful. After the design has been chosen, the first step, casting, begins. Jewellery casting is a technique that has been used by jewellers for thousands of years. It is the process in which a wax carving or pattern is made into a jewellery mould, which is then presented to a caster to be filled with molten metal to create a piece of jewellery. Jewellery casting is also known as lost wax casting, as the wax that is used is lost during the process.
Beginning with a wax pattern of a product, a caster will use a tool called a plaster to create an invested mould. Once the mould is ready, the investment is heated to extreme temperatures to incinerate the material, melting away to leave a hollow chamber. This creates an impression of the piece. Hot, molten metal is then poured into the cavity in the mould, which hardens, producing the cast. This is then submerged in cold water, creating a piece of jewellery that resembles the initial wax pattern.
Assembly
At the start of the assembling process, a piece will still look unfinished. This is the point where a jeweller will refine the main structure of a piece of jewellery, filing down the casting to reveal the metal underneath. They will also make any necessary aesthetic adjustments as well as making sure that the piece can accurately and functionally hold gemstones by completing a mount.
Stone Setting
During the stone setting process, a diamond setter will add the diamonds or other gemstones to a piece. If the jewellery contains multiple stones, then the jeweller may decide to use more intricate methods, such as a hand drill or a microscope, to set each separate stone.
Finishing
Jewellery finishing is the term used to define the process of adding the final touches to a piece of jewellery. Although it is one of the last steps in jewellery making, it is highly important as the finish of a piece is a crucial factor in its overall look and feel. A good quality finish creates a professional, high value, and intricate piece of jewellery. Whatever the process was used to create the product, the finish of the piece is what sets it apart!
Some of the most common jewellery finishes are polishing, matte finishing, rhodium plating and satin finishing. Of course, the finish given to a piece depends on the style of jewellery being made and is different for each metal, style and product type, as is shown during the final parts of the challenges on All that Glitters. The piece will then be complete!
Bespoke Jewellery Design
At Deacons, we too can make bespoke jewellery, just as they do in All That Glitters. Our bespoke jewellery service allows you to create one-of-a-kind pieces that add individuality and sentiment to your jewellery. With our bespoke service, you also have the capability to use your existing jewellery to turn it into a new piece - a perfect choice for any sentimental jewellery that you simply don't get to wear.
Step 1 - Consultation & Design
This is the creative stage of bespoke jewellery design, where we work with you and your ideas to come up with a perfect, personalised design. Our jewellers are more than capable and happy to take the lead at this stage, but if you have an exact idea of what you want, then they will work with you to make this happen.
Aspects you may want to consider are the different settings, stone cuts, metals and ring styles available, all of which you can find out about in our previous articles!
Step 2 - Diamond & Stone Selection
Our jewellers will guide you through the world of diamonds, gemstones and their grading, to ensure that your bespoke jewellery piece has the best possible stones within your budget. The design will then be finalised using either hand sketching techniques or CAD (Computer Aided Design) modelling.
Step 3 - Creation & Delivery
Our in-house jewellers will then expertly craft your final design into the finished piece. On-site design and production ensures Deacons' exemplary quality and service standards is applied throughout the bespoke jewellery design process.
Get in touch with Deacons Jewellers
If you would like to find out more about our bespoke jewellery service, as well as our other in-house services such as repairs, engraving, valuations and more, then feel free to enquire online or call us on 01793 522072. Alternatively, visit us at our Swindon Showroom and talk to one of our experts. We hope to welcome you soon!
Oh, and remember to watch the full 2022 All that Glitters series on BBC 2 iplayer to see who won!
