Master Craftsman creates flawless objects of desire at the house of Bellingham & Bellingham

November 7, 2019
James
FEATURES
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A master craftsman who has made jewellery and works of art for presidents and royal families has defied life-threatening illness to recover his career and launch the most exciting jewellery brand in time for Christmas.

6 years ago Tony Bellingham from London had the world at his feet. One of the UK’s few master goldsmiths, Bellingham had achieved the highest professional qualifications including design, sculpting in silver and gold, carving precious hard stones, diamond mounting, setting precious stones and engineering.

After 10 years at Asprey in Bond Street, he set up his own ateliers in Paris and London to supply the legendary jewellery houses including Asprey, Garrard, Hermes, Cartier, Boucheron, Van Cleef & Arpels, and Tiffany & Co.

Bellingham’s work was coveted by royal families and heads of state, in fact he supplied to four US Presidents and even Royal families from the Middle East.

He travelled worldwide to seek out the ultimate in quality stones and commissions from the Middle East followed, leading to a permanent office in Dubai. His work was compared with that of Carl Fabergé; the master craftsman’s star was soaring and everything he touched turned quite literally, to gold.

However, following serious health issues leaving him without the use of his right hand and arm, Tony Bellingham had no choice but to return to the UK and with time and patience he resumed his passion for creating exquisite jewellery pieces, applying the same level of craftsmanship which had taken him to Paris and then around the world.

The result is the ‘house of’ Bellingham and Bellingham. A magnificent collection of jewellery and objets d’art, the latter no better illustrated than by the incredible gold and bejewelled falcon pictured here that cleverly houses the latest Bang & Olufsen speaker and commands a price tag of a cool £145,000.

The Christmas Collection of jewellery, now available, comprises four distinct design concepts, using the most exquisite stones available. Each piece is individually handcrafted to make a unique commission, at once bespoke and yet instantly recognisable as Bellingham & Bellingham.

The exquisite I Love You in a Thousand Words jewellery collection comes with a suite of luxury accessories to match. Each item from this collection is beautifully handcrafted and inscribed with the words ‘I Love You’ in 36 of the most used languages throughout the world, including: English, Arabic, Chinese and Russian. Pieces include rings, bracelets, cuff links and perfume bottles. Prices from £220 – £9,200.

The Celebration Collection offers a unique approach to saving a special date forever, be it an engagement or wedding day or the birth of a child. Bellingham & Bellingham will handmake this special piece which will be entirely unique to the client, featuring bespoke choices of stones, precious metals and finish. Prices from £2,400 – £15,950.

Suspended Eternity: inspired by the genius of Isambard Kingdom Brunel and the simple engineering components that drove the industrial revolution, this collection magically suspends eternal diamonds in simple modern lines to create a modern classic. Handmade to the finest engineering tolerances in multi-coloured 18ct golds and set with diamonds, rubies and sapphires; there are no comparable designs available from any other atelier. The suspended eternity collection comprises a modern classic vibe featuring a witty selection of rings, earrings, bangles and cuff links. Prices from £2,400 – £17,250.

On The Flip Side: this exciting and unique collection is so versatile it will grace any occasion. It is now possible to wear rubies in the morning, rubies with diamonds in the afternoon and just diamonds for the evening without changing any jewellery, simply flip the sections and go. Each piece is handmade in 18ct white, rose or yellow gold and set with diamonds, rubies, sapphires or emeralds, the simple classic design letting the wearer choose the combination instantly, each section easily flipping to the desired look, an elegant solution which doubles and triples jewellery choices effortlessly. Prices from £1,765 – £14,650.