March 15, 2022

An interview with the Founder, Sam Stirrat

Preferring to stay out of the limelight a conversation with Sam is normally reserved for those lucky enough to embark on a Blackacre journey. Our vision has never been about a single person but rather a collective effort striving to realise a childhood dream. The launch of our bridal collection provides a fitting opportunity to discuss that vision with Sam.

What inspired you to launch the Bridal Collection?

Our focus from the outset has been to pick one very specific thing allowing us to do it better than anyone else. Creating bespoke engagement rings will always be at our core. Investing time in people, showcasing our versatility as designers and technicians. The launch of our Bridal Collection is a proud moment as for the first time, we as designers are able to share our signature style.

What is the Blackacre style?

Our passion is for creating and appreciating all things of beauty; be it nature, people, art or jewellery. The beauty of creating unique pieces as we so often do, is that we remain unconstrained by a set style or collection.

That said our signature collection provides a reflection of the style that in this stage of our journey we wish to be known for. Timeless, elegant creations, brought to life with state of the art precision and a modern finish.

What inspired the designs in the Bridal Collection?

I take great inspiration from science and the natural world, often fixated by the colours and mesmerizing patterns it conjures up. More specifically the Bridal Collection takes inspiration from the cascading vines of tropical jungles inspired by many a visit to the forests of Sri Lanka.

I have a real fascination with the intricacy with which irregular shapes can seemingly form beautiful patterns in organic constructs whilst distributed at random. This is no more clear than the leaves which sprout from cascading vines in the rainforest canopy. This natural distribution creates a highly organic form finding simplicity within complexity.

Just like the engagement ring, a symbol of unity and commitment the vines inspire a strength and resilience to stand the test of time.

How does the collection embody our passion for the natural world and championing of sustainable practices?

I feel very strongly that with every step of our journey we must continue to improve, adopting only the most sustainable practices. Whilst we cannot negate that we are using some of the earths greatest treasures there is right and a wrong way of doing things.

Within the Bridal Collection each piece has been created using collection grade white diamonds approved and certified by the Responsible Jewellery Council, recycled precious metals and created in our central London workshop.

Through offering those fortunate enough to come on our journey true transparency in the creation of each piece we will continue to find new ways of doing things.

The Bridal Collection film has been released alongside the collection, can you tell us what you enjoyed most about it?

Our films are something we are immensely proud and they too provide us with an important documentation of the journey we are on. The Bridal film was a hugely enjoyable project to work on and there is no greater feeling than seeing a vision come to life.

For me the highlight was being able to capture the vision of the Blackacre bride. The film was focused on capturing the intimate and joyous moments of bridal bliss shared only between two people. Just like a walled garden, love blossoming in an inner sanctuary, free from outside pressures.

We have documented a lot of the story and behind the scenes imagery in Our Film collection.

You are passionate about the detail – what might the untrained eye not catch at a first glance?

Each of the engagement rings within the collection has a series of white diamonds set in the gallery of the ring, measuring 0.60mm in diameter. Only an exceptionally skilled setter is able to achieve such a fete.

Whilst not necessarily a detail, I love the versatility and adaptability of the earrings in the collection. Having the ability to interchange diamond drops or add to the pieces down the line creates a magical piece that can be enjoyed on a variety of occasions.

One of the earring detachable droplets is Paraiba Tourmaline which is rather rare, can you tell us more about this stone?

As you can see, the neon blue colour, for which Paraiba Tourmalines are best known, is truly unique. The colour is caused by copper traces within the gemstones.

These stones have been sourced from Brazil, more specifically the state of Praiba on the east coast.

Whilst similar specimens can be found elsewhere across the globe the Brazillian variety remains the most cherished and rare due to its depth of colour.

What are you most excited about in the next steps of the Blackacre journey?

It is always challenging as there is just so much I want to create, explore and discover. However my dream remains constant, a desire to create the exceptional and sharing my passion for the remarkable journey each piece goes on every step of the way.

We will continue to drive towards establishing a new era of responsible luxury and look forward to growing our Blackacre family along the way.