“There’s nothing permanent except change,” – so the famous saying goes. Times and tastes change, and local jewellery label Jasmin Sparrow is embracing this with its Repair and Recycle initiative.
“Maybe you've changed metals, or you've outgrown one loved style or truly put a piece through its paces – whatever the reason, we have options,” says the brand.
As part of the permanent ongoing service, the team can polish, repair or re-plate your favourite Jasmin Sparrow pieces. If your style has changed completely, you can return a piece for store credit to put towards something new, and the pre-loved piece will either be spruced up to sell in the brand’s annual archive sale or melted down to make something new.
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SUBSCRIBE NOW“Jewellery is approached so differently to clothing. The right pieces become a second skin but naturally, our style changes over time,” founder Jasmin Scott tells Broadsheet. “I have personally swapped all of my silver and gold-plated pieces for solid gold, and fallen out of love with pieces I thought I would wear forever.”
The company has offered replating since it began and, after conversations with customers, this evolved to polish and restoration services, too.
“We'd also hear about older pieces our customers once loved but don't wear as much anymore, so with longevity and timelessness at the core of the brand, it made sense to launch an initiative like this,” says Scott.
“Our community is so important to us. It's nice to be able to offer this as an additional service and evolve with our customers. It's a way to ensure their JS pieces, in whatever form, will stay with them for life as intended.”
Scott has long focused on the meaning and attachments we attribute to jewellery, with an ongoing series on the Jasmin Sparrow journal dedicated to interviewing various creatives about their most sentimental pieces.
“I love that jewellery can hold such sentimental weight, unlike anything else. We have jewellery that marks occasions and milestones throughout our life,” she says.
Scott, who also co-founded children’s jewellery label Bon with her friend Lucy Pilkington, treasures a childhood charm bracelet from her grandmother and has fond memories of picking a new charm for each birthday. “The sense of nostalgia I have as an adult reflecting on this is truly beautiful,” she says. “A group of girlfriends putting in for birthday gifts, engagement rings, jewellery representation across cultures, jewellery inherited by loved ones – all so weighted in depth and meaning.”
Scott hopes Jasmine Sparrow pieces carry the same sense of meaning and purpose. It's even more important to celebrate this in the face of today’s mass consumption, she says, and encourage longevity with the right maintenance. “A lot of people aren't aware that stone settings on a ring need to be tightened regularly. It's a small example of how we can educate and assist our customers on how to best care for their pieces.”
The brand recently launched a three-piece collection of vintage-inspired, clip-on costume earrings that has proved popular. At a slightly lower price point than Jasmin Sparrow’s usual ranges, they’re “lots of fun and a real statement”. Scott says she’s been feeling inspired after a trip to Paris last year, during which she spent hours exploring vintage jewellery stores.
“It felt like a bit of a reset after being stuck in NZ during lockdowns,” she says. “It has helped redefine my vision for JS. I'm excited about the next few collections we have on the way and cannot wait to share what's next with everyone.”