Jaspersparkle turns antique silver spoons into award-winning rings on Anglesey

Every ring Anne Arkle makes has a history stamped into it. Her Anglesey business, Jaspersparkle, turns solid silver teaspoons into statement jewellery, and each spoon ring proudly keeps its original hallmark.

Anne began making spoon rings as a hobby in 2009, inspired by a love of history, tradition, antiques and anything silver. Self-taught, she honed her own technique using only sterling silver hallmarked spoons, and she was hooked. Jaspersparkle was launched in August 2011 at the Anglesey Show.

The name has a story too. It combines the name of her cat, Jasper, with Sparkle, a nickname from school, Arkle Sparkle, so Jasper lives on in the company's logo. The cat design was created by a young media student who asked to design a logo for her portfolio after reading the company's story, and Anne says she burst into tears when she first saw it.

Everything is handmade with traditional tools in Anne's Anglesey workshop at Llandegfan. The business is legally approved by the Sheffield Assay Office with change of use certification, and its work has won awards, including Best Arts and Creative Business in 2022 and Best Jeweller in 2023 at the Best Welsh Business Awards. In 2018 Theo Paphitis picked the business for his Small Business Sunday award, and Anne collected the certificate from him in person at the 2019 winners' day at the ICC in Birmingham.

There is plenty of history behind the idea. Spoon rings originated in 17th century England and were first used as wedding rings, Anne explains, when servants who could not afford precious metal rings would take silverware from the manor houses and have it turned into wedding rings. Today, like any wedding ring, a spoon ring stands for love and commitment.

The range has grown well beyond rings. There are full, handle and talon spoon rings, Georgian ice tong bangles, sugar tong bangles, fish knife bangles, spoon cuffs and fork bangles, along with spoon earrings, pendants, leather spoon straps and an upcycled and rescued range. The website even explains the history of the spoon ring and offers a ring size chart.

"Made from solid silver teaspoons, we stir history together with sterling quality, to fashion wondrous statement jewellery," the business says. Customers around the world agree: Jaspersparkle ships to more than 50 countries.

For anyone looking for a present with a story, an upcycled piece of Georgian or Victorian silverware turned into a ring is about as original as it gets, and gift vouchers are available too.

Browse the collections and upcoming events at jaspersparkle.co.uk.