Freeman Jewellers in Yarm is seeing a huge demand for bespoke jewellery. Ruth Addicott talks to co-owner Jill Freeman about some of the more unusual requests.

IT is often said that diamonds are a girl’s best friend, but for some customers at Freeman Jewellers, in Yarm, it seems children’s teeth and horse’s tails are more the order of the day.

As an expert in bespoke jewellery, co-owner Jill Freeman has all kinds of requests and as beautiful as diamonds are, it is some of the more unusual orders which stick in her mind. One lady wanted a ring made from four sapphires and her children’s teeth. Another wanted a gold brooch plaited with the hair of her horse’s tail.

According to Jill, demand for bespoke jewellery has increased tenfold in the past few years, with people desperate to have something different.

“There was a big trend for branded goods, but there is a move away from that now because people want something other people can’t pick up on the high street,” she says.

The shop has just undergone refurbishment and introduced a 3D computer package which enables customers to view the jewellery from different angles.

Prices range from silver earrings at £30 to £150,000 for a diamond ring.

Some customers get extremely creative and come up with all sorts of ideas as well as taking in old pieces to restore or re-create into something new.

Having been in the jewellery business 25 years, Jill has had all sorts of quirky orders. “One customer had the diamond taken out of his tie tack and made into a ring for his wife,”

she says. “Someone else wanted a pendant made out of their kitten’s teeth. At the end of the day, teeth have the same chemical structure as mother of pearl.”

Like a lot of jewellers, Jill has been party to the occasional romantic gesture – one husband had a brooch made out of a shell he found in the Caribbean during his honeymoon, and presented it to his wife for their first wedding anniversary. Others have ordered engagement rings and popped the question on top of a mountain.

According to Jill, the most common mistake people make, is trying to keep the cost of their wedding down by scrimping on the ring. “I’ve seen many ladies wanting a new wedding ring not long after they got married. They should budget for the best they can buy,” she says.

Among the new collections in store is a range of jewellery where the diamonds actually move (prices start at £500), as well as a collection of bespoke unity rings for couples who aren’t married.

Jill’s other advice is to look after jewellery properly. “So many people think it’s invincible and it’s not,” she says. “It’s like having a pair of heels.

If you wear them every day, eventually they wear down. If you sleep, garden and bake in your jewellery, it puts it under undue stress.”

The rush is on to look younger

SALES of an anti-ageing serum have rocketed by more than 2,500 per cent after it was revealed that 72 per cent of women who took part in a trial said it made them look younger in just ten days.

The £9.50 M&S Formula Age Repair Ceramide Collagen Serum is quickly selling out across the country. The same feverish activity has also been reported on the company’s website following last month’s trial, in which 120 over-40s took part.

The serum aims to target mature skin showing signs of fine lines and wrinkles with a fast-acting formula that includes ceramides, hyaluronic acid and hexapeptides.

■ For a skin rescue while you sleep, try Lumecin Overnight Brightening Gluco-Protein Treatment. The makers say it will help you to wake up to a younger-looking, fresher and brighter complexion. Ingredients include glucosamine and salicylic acid to improve clarity of skin, shrink pores and lighten the appearance of dark age-spots. The recommended price is £29.95.

■ Tri-Aktiline has become a firm favourite to fill wrinkles and cover fine lines. Use it where you need it most – on crow’s feet, laughter lines and anywhere facial expressions have left their mark. It retails at £27.95.

Lipsy’s Dalton Park debut

LIPSY dresses are now available at Next Clearance, at Dalton Park, east Durham, at up to 50 per cent off the normal high street price.

That means you can pick up one of this summer’s hottest looks, like the dress pictured, from £30, although stock is said to be limited – so you’ll have to hurry to pick up your must-have fashion piece.

■ For more information, call 0191-526-6157 or visit the Dalton Park website: dalton-park.co.uk