Set in stone: the tale of one of the oldest traditions in the world

I worry for the day that the machine renders the human touch obsolete. In today’s world of iThis and #That, the skill of hand craftsmanship is all too easily buried under a siege of state-of-the-art technology that can do the job in the blink of an eye. Efficient, yes. But special, no. Anything of the handmade marque, be it a side-by-side shotgun or something as simple as a belt buckle, carries a dash of difference, the touch of undivided care. This is where the ordinary becomes the extraordinary. With machines comes symmetry. With hands come individuality, time, and thought.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when descending the stairs into an unassuming workshop in Hatton Garden – home, since 1971, to London’s famed jewellery quarter Rebus – following the owner Emmet Smith, whose fingers bear the thin pale scars of slips whilst an apprentice many years ago at the very company he went on to acquire in 2002.

All I knew was that the method of hand engraving is central to their philosophy, a rich tradition that has afforded them the reputation of becoming the UK’s premier creator of precious metal signet rings for men and women.

In a small basement, a row of four engravers hunch over clamps illuminated by bright lamps, scratching intricate monograms onto gold, silver and bronze. Scattered around the clutter of weathered chisels, paper and pencils, and loupes, personal touches adorn each of the engravers’ stations: pictures of family, bygone designs, wooden boats and a miniature globe. A pacific calm washes through the room. In the corner, one engraver has his headphones on, drawing the initial design onto a ring’s table (the oval face) – having rubbed the gold with plasticine to leave a smudged film on the metal, he is able to use a pencil to lay the outlines of the crest, before scoring the contours and moving onto the angular chisels.

In another, a young apprentice is discussing his artwork with one of the senior members – it will take five years of training before he is fully fledged. Under Emmet’s cool direction, the Rebus team shape and engrave approximately 60 rings a month, destined for various corners of the country; each a unique symbol of expression to their prospective owner, and each a cut of true art.

The dexterity with which the team brings these rings to life is a hypnotic marvel, especially when you try to get your head around the microscopic detail that goes into something as complex as an oak tree’s canopy or the neck feathers of a griffin’s plumage. And there is no limit to their catalogue – anything goes, from heraldry to poetry extracts to sentimental monograms. Emmet beckons me towards one of the clamps, where the imposing shape of a great white shark is taking form under the sharp point. These pieces will go on to become as everyday as shoes – once on, the likelihood is that they will never be taken off; worn for a lifetime, then passed onto the next generation.

It is this knowledge that makes the quality of handcraftsmanship so integral to the fabric of Rebus. Such is the nature of their dedication to traditional hand-engraving methods, the story starts well before the client receives their purchase. When delivered to the modest workshop, the metal Oxford Ovals and bloodstones start as blank canvasses; transformed under the meticulous proficiency of a trained artist, with an attention to detail that mirrors the importance of the emblem to the client. This passion and simple love of the work is only tangible when made by hand. With machines, this sentiment is no longer physical.

There is a huge amount of information behind a signet ring – be it of love, identification, rebellion or affiliation – and with every one that bears the Rebus hallmark it is the human touch that sets this in stone.

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