92 When did you start up and why? We started Reeves & Reeves in 2012 to focus on a wholesale business after many years in retail shops. What prompted you to launch the business? We both had a passion to do something on our own as we love jewellery and the creative design process. Having a young family meant we wanted to be based more at home with a little less travelling involved. What challenges have you overcome since the company’s launch? Too many! We have had industry specific issues with the price of silver increasing hugely, but also then the issues surrounding Brexit, COVID and the most recent cost of living issue. Tell us about your product offering. We offer a varied and wide range of beautifully designed and crafted sterling silver jewellery with touches of gold vermeil, and some enamel work too. What are your most popular products? Our best sellers are mainly from our Nature collection but still a wide range from highland Cows to Hummingbirds. Bees are still very popular with then seasonal aspects coming into play with Hearts and Stars. Our inspiration is taken from the countryside around us. We live and work in Dorset, and on our journey to work we will always see the British wildlife and countryside at its best and worst! Based in the stunning grounds of Forde Abbey, we have a small team, and we are ALL involved in the design process with a very robust critique before anything is put into sampling or production. We have to keep a close eye on our budget but try not to let this stop us being experimental. We really have commerciality at the front of our minds too - will my Mum like this? Our sisters, friends? Who will be the end customer? The design process starts with Caroline and a pencil, very old school, but it seems to work! She works closely with our manufacturers to take her pencil sketches through all the stages to final production. Have any styles taken you by surprise with their popularity? Yes, we always love the element of surprise and try not to be too restrictive when bringing new products to markets. Ideas we are unsure of in the drawing stage can come to life once created in silver, so we mustn’t restrict ourselves too much! It’s a fine balance.
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