Rock Star: Meet Sam Stirrat, The Founder of Blackacre London

C&TH meets the master of bespoke jewellery, Sam Stirrat, who founded Blackacre London in 2017.

Interview: Sam Stirrat, Founder of Blackacre London

How did you first fall in love with jewellery? As a child, I was just fascinated by rocks and gems – their intriguing colours, patterns and textures. I taught myself how to craft jewellery in my bedroom, learning everything from wire and beads to soldering metals. But I began by collecting rocks. The catalyst was attending a craft fair with my mother; a lady was running a jewellery demo with wire and glass beads. That was the moment I was hooked – it perfectly combined my love of art and the natural world.

Blackacre’s 18k white gold Origins ring with 0.60ct pear-cut white diamond and a total of 0.98ct collection quality yellow diamonds, £POA

I taught myself to make jewellery… as a teenager in my bedroom at home. From wire and beads to soldering metals, everything I learnt was self-taught. My first sales were on Etsy. And the moment that changed everything: I sold a silver and pearl bracelet to a gentleman who was so pleased with the work that he got back in touch to request a bespoke engagement ring. He asked his partner to marry him at a place called Blackacre; the brand was born. Since then, we have gone on to become a B Corp certified company; we picked one thing to focus our attention on, to be the best of the best in, and it is creating those bespoke occasion rings. We’ve gone onto win numerous awards – including Bespoke Jeweller of the Year, as awarded by the National Association of Jewellers.

What did your first commission look like? I made a silver and pearl bracelet for a gentleman, who was so pleased he later requested a bespoke engagement ring. He proposed to his partner at a place called Blackacre; the rest is history.

What does Blackacre’s bespoke creation process look like today? Each piece is handmade by master craftspeople in London; a bespoke engagement ring takes six to eight weeks. We begin with a call to get your brief and offer our initial advice. Our clients are involved in the full creation journey, from picking diamonds and gemstones to receiving the hand-drawn designs and photo updates from the workshop. We pride ourselves on the personal nature of our work. Clients speak directly to gemologists and jewellers, not sales or marketing teams.

A bespoke Blackacre London commission with natural pink diamonds

What are some of your standout moments from your last nine years as founder? Winning multiple Bespoke Jeweller of the Year awards is certainly up there. I want to be the best in all we do and recognition by experts in the industry means a lot to me. As does our B Corp certification – testament to our commitment to supporting people and the planet. When it comes to what we’ve created, our proudest commission to date was a 40th birthday present from a husband to his wife. It was one of a kind, featuring rare natural pink diamonds inspired by cherry blossom trees the couple were fond of. It also featured symbolical nods to both their children and her star sign.

What does sustainability look like at Blackacre? We feel a duty of care to use and source our materials responsibly. This means using recycled precious metals, and repurposing antique diamonds and gemstones, and using diamonds from vetted supply chains. For example, we work with artisan mines in Sri Lanka, where land is returned to its natural state after a maximum of two years of mining. Responsible luxury means not taking shortcuts; we create each piece as if we were making it for ourselves.

What’s next? We’re now approaching our tenth year and have new collections on the way, as well as a sourcing trip to Botswana. We aspire to be the best in the world at all that we do, to put the client at the heart of the process, and to create deeply meaningful pieces in a responsible way for the next ten years and beyond.

Design your dream bespoke ring with the team at blackacreldn.com