We love our Local Folk profiles. It’s a great opportunity for you, our dear reader, to meet the faces behind some beloved brands. We’ve chatted to everyone from photographers to florists to stationery designers and today we were lucky enough to sit down with husband and wife team, Lars and Susie Larsen – founders of one of our favourite ring designers Larsen Jewellery. We also sent Scott Surplice along to Larsen’s newly renovated space in The Strand Arcade, Sydney, so you all could take a squiz at their digs and stunning range of ethically-crafted, high quality jewellery. Take it away Lars and Susie…
Tell us about your brand… We established Larsen Jewellery in 2007. The vision was always to bring exceptional customer service together with designing and creating exceptional quality fine jewellery to the highest ethical standards. Our studios have open plan workshops on-site so you can see where each piece is lovingly crafted, especially for you.
What does it mean to create ethical jewellery? For us, ethical jewellery means running the entire business with conscious and responsible intentions. We do this by using conflict-free diamonds and gemstones, and we are licenced to supply fairtrade gold. We have also taken many steps to minimise our environmental footprint throughout the production process. In 2017, we took on the challenge of becoming 100 per cent carbon neutral and were the first Australian jeweller to achieve this accreditation.
Tell us about your design service? Our customer service is at the heart of what we do. We work closely with our customers to bring their vision to life. Whether it’s an engagement ring, wedding band, or any other piece of jewellery, our jewellers and designers are experts at guiding through the design process to ensure each piece is customised perfectly. For engagement rings, in particular, this gives our clients the creative freedom to deeply personalise their purchase. We will never pressure anyone to increase their budget beyond what they are comfortable spending.
Price range of rings? Our wedding rings start at $590 and our engagement rings start at $3500.
Any design trends you’ve noticed, or popular designs among customers? Solitaire rings are most certainly a standout – they’re a timeless design that allows clients to have a bit of fun down the track with their wedding and eternity rings. Clients wanting larger diamond sizes (carats) are opting towards lab-grown diamonds as they can achieve their dream design while staying within their chosen price range. We’re also seeing an upward trend with hidden halos – people are loving that they add a little something to the ring without detracting from the centre stone.
Advice for couples when choosing wedding jewellery? Whether you are shopping for engagement rings or weddings rings, make sure you are considering the thickness and width of the bands. A common trend at the moment is to very fine and thin bands but your rings are meant to last you a lifetime and they need to be able to wear well. Our lifetime guarantee gives you peace of mind that we have applied our knowledge and experience to every element of the design so that the longevity of your ring is never compromised.
Where are your boutiques based? We have studios in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.
Do brides and grooms need to make an appointment to design a ring? It’s always best to make an appointment, that way we can ensure there is a dedicated designer available to take you through your options.
How far in advance do you recommend couples get in touch? Our production timeframe is six to seven weeks for engagement rings and four to five weeks for wedding bands. Generally, the rule of thumb of when to start looking at wedding bands is no less than three months before the wedding. That way, if they need to be resized at all, there is time to do so without cutting it so close to the big day! With engagement rings, however, sometimes there are clients who want to propose to their loved ones sooner rather than later, and our number-one priority is being able to make their idea become a reality. If you have a tight timeframe, please still get in touch. We will do whatever we can to help.
Fave part of the job? It’s a wonderful opportunity being able to get to know every individual client and understand their wants and needs to create the perfect piece. Being able to design something they have been envisaging and show them what it can look like when brought to life is incredibly rewarding. We are creating pieces of jewellery that represent a moment where life changed for the better. Something that will hold meaning through generations as it is passed down.
Thing you’re most proud of? Sustainability is incredibly important to us and is an integral part of who we are as a brand. We’re proud all our jewellery is 100 per cent carbon neutral. I love that we are able to offer fairtrade gold for wedding bands – being able to offer this means that we assist with social, environmental and economic development of mining communities.
Wanna know more about Larsen Jewellery and get in touch? Head to their directory listing here. If you’re interested to meet more of our beloved vendors, check out our Hello Vendor profiles here.
CREDITS Photographer Scott Surplice Jeweller Larsen Jewellery