Asking for someone’s hand in marriage is arguably the biggest moment in a person’s life, and there is one man in South Wales who understands this better than most.
We caught up with Neil Rayment to discuss the new chapter of his bespoke jewellery business, and why he made the decision to rebrand.
Neil Rayment has been designing and manufacturing bespoke jewellery and silverware, including engagement rings, for over two decades and loves the emotion which goes into each of his creations.
“With each of my projects there is always a new sentiment and value,” explained Neil. “As soon as I start making the product, I channel my client’s emotion.”
This personal approach is something that Neil has always portrayed through his designs, but somehow along the way, his brand did not exude the same personable nature.
“The name of my business, Advanced Jewel Craft, originated because I was keen to go into rapid prototyping technology, and I wanted to get the balance of the high tech with the craft,” said Neil.
In the year 2000, Neil realised that the emergence of CAD in the industry would be the future, and he wanted to “jump on the bandwagon”. At this time he was working in London, and he was keen explore this sudden rush of software in the jewellery industry.
“I did a survey in Hatton Gardens and asked the jewellers their thoughts on the new CAD software. Some of them wanted to burn me at the stake, as they thought I was ending the art of hand making!” laughed Neil. “There was a real snobbery and ignorance about the whole thing and it took a long time to educate people. Fortunately, others said that they wanted to pursue it and in reality it just became another tool of manufacturing. You still need the expertise and design, and you have to understand the materials and craftsmanship.”
Luckily, Neil stuck to his gut instinct and pursued this new technology, which in turn led to the creation of his brand, Advanced Jewel Craft. Over the years, this brand served him well, and after leaving London and relocating to Cardiff his business flourished. For Neil, Cardiff presented a wonderful opportunity as it was a place without a jewellery quarter and did not have someone with his particular set of skills.
However, with this growth came a dilemma as the name ‘Advanced Jewel Craft’ wasn’t aligning with his trade work. Neil soon found that he was setting aside his old brand and created a new one in 2004, called ‘Adamas’, which was geared towards manufacturers and independent retailers. This did not mean that the bespoke side of Neil’s business was dissolving, quite the contrary – word of mouth meant his designs were in demand. Consequently, Neil realised that it was time to rebrand his bespoke business, but this decision left him unsettled.
After extensive research to establish what his brand meant to him, Spindogs started to create ideas for Neil’s new brand. At first, the concept of a signature was agreed, but once Neil saw it on paper, he became unsure. Doubting his initial decision to make his brand his name, he asked Spindogs to create another branding concept so that he could see a contrasting idea. Spindogs obliged and Neil took both options to his friends and family for their opinion. They all agreed that the signature was the right direction as they felt it portrayed a personal, bespoke and caring brand. This was exactly what Neil wanted to convey, so he knew that it was time to take the plunge.
Take a look at the new Neil Rayment site and let us know what you think!
If you want to speak to us about a brand refresh or a new website, get in touch with us today!