Adrian Ashley started his career in the jewellery industry as a master-pattern maker, a niche area of the jewellery trade, that carves the models used to make pieces of fine jewellery. As part of his apprenticeship he was released to the, world renowned, Sir John Cass Faculty in London to study diamond mounting.
In 2005 Adrian opened as a tiny Jewellery Boutique, in an old, cobblestoned retail arcade, on a tucked-away street in the historic market town of Arundel, West Sussex.
To its credit, the little jewellery shop did boast a Goldsmith’s workbench in one corner, a buggy website (which, bizarrely, always ranked near the top of Google’s first page for ‘wedding rings sussex’) and a rudimentary online shop, which initially relied on ‘payment on delivery’ and barely sold a thing.
The boutique eventually became a showroom for a larger workshop which was opened on the outskirts of town. In time the little shop was replaced entirely by a client consultation area within the larger workshop.
Although bespoke wedding and engagement rings soon became an important part of Adrian Ashley's jewellery business, Adrian was in increasing demand from larger, luxury jewellers to create the small, sculptural pieces he had originally been trained to make.
Fortunately, Adrian's slide into only existing as one of the ephemeral, trade-only, specialists that silently serve the luxury manufacturing sector coincided with the advent of several international craft/vintage market websites which promised (with varying degrees of validity) to be global versions of the Chelsea Craft Fair or Paris Flea Market.
When time allowed, Adrian began producing handmade pieces for a couple of these craft sites under different names, most notably argentaqua.com, a very successful Etsy shop, selling affordable, silver jewellery, that is still thriving today.
At the beginning of August 2022, with renewed faith in ecommerce, the adrianashley.com online shop was relaunched.
The Adrian Ashley website and online shop will feature high-end pieces of sculptural jewellery that will appeal to clients who can appreciate handmade goods and fine craftmanship.
As a company, Adrian Ashley is committed to ensuring that raw materials used have been sourced responsibly, that work is always priced honestly and that customer service is second to none. All pieces are handmade in a small workshop in the English countryside and can be shipped to collectors across the world.