To all who expressed kind words from near and far, as well as customers from all over the world who took advantage of the one day sale - Steven and the entire Aurora Jewellery team would like to thank everyone for helping them celebrate a fantastic Silver Anniversary.
Starting from humble beginnings in Steven’s attic, it’s been quite an exciting 25 years. We now have an online shop, as well as stores in Kirkwall, Thurso and Shetland offering handcrafted jewellery which enjoys an international reputation for unique designs that evoke the beautiful heritage and scenery of Scotland.
Steven Cooper left his native Orkney in the late 1980s to study engineering on the mainland. But the islands kept beckoning him back- and he also kept thinking about a class in jewellery making that he enjoyed while in sixth year at school.
After ten years working for a local jeweller, honing his skills to become a master craftsman, in 1998 Steven set up Aurora Jewellery with one simple philosophy- to maintain the highest standards of original design and take pride in a product painstakingly hand crafted in the traditional way.
Twenty five years later, no longer in the attic, but in a purpose built studio workshop overlooking Scapa Flow, Steven still maintains this philosophy. Working with a team of brilliant designers, Steven hand crafts master patterns using traditional methods. The lost wax process, one of the oldest traditional methods, is used to create the jewellery collections. Each design is inspired by the landscapes, seascapes and rich heritage of Scotland.
Joining traditional favourites such as our Ring of Brodgar and Viking Maeshowe Dragon range are new favourites like the Celtic cross and contemporary Elements collection. This anniversary is also a time to look back fondly at all the commissions that we have received from our wonderful clients over the years, especially the Charles and Camilla Wedding Quiach, the ‘Up Helly Aa’ Kilt Pin and all the bespoke wedding and engagement rings that are still cherished decade after decade.
A huge highlight of our journey has been our partnership with Sony Pictures Consumer Products to create an exclusive line of Outlander jewellery. The range includes Claire’s wedding ring, the Clan Fraser brooch and pendant, as well as the popular Craigh na Dun collection. These can be found online, in our shops and in some National Trust for Scotland shops.
So to all of our friends and family, the designers and creatives that we work with, our partners and, of course, our wonderful customers around the globe, thank you for an amazing 25 years, and here’s to the next 25!