Thursday 26 March 2015

Small Business: The Serpents Club




As my second Small Business Spotlight (you can read the first here) I'm featuring The Serpents Club,  a bespoke, statement jewellery company working with semi precious stones, founded by Emily Tobin. I have adored their collections from afar ever since they collabed with Delilah Dust (now The Crystal Divide) last year, and have finally succumbed to my desires, purchasing two wonderful necklaces which I'll discuss below.

There are a freaking lot of jewellery online shops out there now. And honestly, I can't tell most of them apart. I have a world of respect for anyone who starts up their own online business because of the backend work that goes into it, and you have to start somewhere, but ordering the same charms from amazon and selling them for inflated prices just baffles me. What is your unique selling point? Why should I choose you over that shop selling the same choker/chain & charm for 50p less? However, over the past couple of months I've come across some businesses who clearly put their life and soul into the artistic creation of unique jewellery, and this is one of them. I was wowed by a video of Emily hand drilling one of her larger stones, I had assumed she would order them in drilled and ready to attach to chains, but apparently not not! Here's what I found out from our little Q&A:

Although Emily has help with everyday admin (my dream) she handles all the designing, sourcing, production, photography, finances and social media herself -which is a heavy load, trust me! So when the shop gets busy it can be quite manic as some stones can take up to 4 hours to drill! Crazy respect for this lady. I was really interested in why she choses the stones she does: "I try to choose pretty mineral specimens and contrast them against textures and really masculine chains, which I think is a bit different compared to delicate crystal jewellery which is usually on offer." Although not left completely raw and jagged, they all seem to be unique which, as a lover of minerals, I love because I feel I'm getting something special, not mass produced. And in terms of style, "Polished stones allow you to focus on all the colours and inclusions inside." While she is learning to metal smith, Emily sources the chains and extras, so I can't wait to see the interesting designs she comes up with in the future!





Mara - £50.00

I had been lusting over the gold version of this for MONTHS, but as the price tag was so high I'd put off ordering until I'd done something worthwhile enough to treat myself for. Unfortunately, I didn't get my ass together in time and it sold out, so I opted for the silver just in case they never came back into stock as the range is seasonal! Even though it's not what I initially wanted, I'm absolutely in love with it. Sitting at the centre of my chest, it's a wonderful, unique, statement necklace and never fails to get compliments!



Nirvana - £24.00

Hanging below my chest, this Nirvana necklace is more similar to most of my jewellery collection; easy to throw on as I walk out the door, adding something different to my outfit. I love jewellery with semi precious stones because it keeps accessorising casual. I'm not one for dressing up and I'm not into conventional, expensive and dainty pieces, so 90% of my collection involves a stone or druzy on a longer chain like this. The pyrite cluster is a lovely touch, paring so well with the smokey stone, but personally, I do wish it was smaller to give the stone more of a chance to pop.



And finally, this gorgeous amethyst / oxidised silver ring. I actually got it free with my order because I purchased on a certain day, if I remember correctly, and it's the best freebie I could have hoped for. I've seen many of their gorgeous rings plastered over their Instagram and customer hashtag page but could never find them on the website, so I'm assuming they're made as gifts for customers. Well it 100% persuaded me to purchase when I did so keep that tactic up, guys!

Like the necklace above, the amethyst is encrusted with pyrite. I find this combination gives an even more raw feel to the gem stones. Thankfully, the ring is adjustable (I dislike ordering rings online because I never know my size, or even which finger would be its home anyway!) and the stone is a sweet and convenient size. I'm not into chunky, statement rings as I feel they'd get in the way, but this is just the right size -I doubt it'll give me a fatal whack in the face as I sweep back my fringe.


Packaging wise -pretty awesome. Each piece came in its own box with a wax stamp on top, adding a suitably gothic twist to the branding. I also got two travel bags, which was a nice touch, and I'm using one to protect my Mara necklace.

Shop: http://theserpentsclub.co.uk
Twitter: https://twitter.com/theserpentsclub
Instagram: http://instagram.com/theserpentsclub

A Special 15% off for my readers with the code "POLLY"! Hurry as it expires 31/03/15

I've changed up how I did this Small Business Spotlight, adding a few extras from my previous post. At this early stage I'm still experimenting with what works, but I think reviewing the products I get and including a little Q&A from the founder are definitely nice additions! 

So what do you think of this brand? Would you order for yourself or a friend? (...Or me, I'd like the whole range please)

Polly xo


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8 comments

  1. such a lovely post, this brand looks gorgeous- I will definitely have to check them out! xx

    www.monochromeroses.blogspot.co.uk

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  2. That ring is just adorable! I really need to investigate more into this brand! However, you had me at the first necklace, really suits you x

    That Girl Rhianna

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    Replies
    1. Thank you! The Mara is absolutely gorgeous, probably my favourite piece I own

      xo

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  3. That ring is gorgeous! This brand looks amazing!
    fixmeinfortyfivex.blogspot.co.uk - A Beauty & Lifestyle Blog
    xx

    ReplyDelete
  4. The Mara necklace looks superb! It’s too bad that you weren’t able to order the gold version, but that one looks stunning, nonetheless. As for that gorgeous ring, it’s great that it was adjustable. You’re right that having the right size at the first order can be a big drawback at times. And it being free certainly didn’t hurt! Haha! Anyway, thanks for sharing this wonderful shop with us. Cheers!

    Ricky Rowe @ Find A Jewelry Expert

    ReplyDelete
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