Imagine designing the most important piece of jewelry you’ll ever wear without knowing you’re actually creating it for yourself. That’s what happened to Kitty Fuller, designer and founder of London-based brand Kitty Joyas, when tasked with a custom engagement ring job from one cryptic customer.
“Having just done a pop-up in Selfridges, I received a particularly exciting inquiry from a guy called Matthew who had contacted me via email,” Fuller tells JCK. “He claimed that his girlfriend had seen the rings at the pop-up, and he requested to commission a ring for her in the ‘Kitty Joyas style,’ and to create something that I myself would love to receive. Giving me totally free rein of the design, I was definitely perplexed, excited, and curious at the same time.”
That “guy called Matthew” was in fact Fuller’s boyfriend, using a new email address he’d created just for the purpose.
“Quite in the dark, I requested that we have a consultation via phone or in the studio so that I could gauge a few details before embarking on the design. He cleverly asked his colleague to cover up for him, so the colleague and I had a nice chat over the phone while I tried to grasp a bit of info about the woman the ring was for and her interests/style. The one thing he was insistent on was that she would love anything I made, so I got into my zone and created something I felt was beautiful.”
Fuller, who rolled out her engagement ring line last November but still takes bespoke requests, asked the client for three keywords to point her in the right style direction. “Chunky, diamond, and gold,” she recalls. “My brain was buzzing with ideas, and I couldn’t wait to start designing and making it. I had to trust my gut with this commission, which was nerve-racking but incredibly liberating creatively.”
A huge surprise was in store for Fuller when the “client” came to pick up his ring and her own boyfriend “appeared, took the ring, and got down on one knee,” she relates.
“I love it so much!” Fuller says when asked about the finished product. “I couldn’t be happier, and every time I look down at it, it reminds me of all the genuine thought and love that went into the process of creating it, not knowing it was for me. I still can’t believe that I was making it for me all along, and that he managed to keep that secret from me for three months.”
The designer’s wedding is set for next May, just outside of London. “I am most excited about creating the jewelry for the day,” says Fuller. “I have some of my granny’s old pearls, which I intend to reimagine into some bridal pieces. For the wedding band, I am planning to create a nice solid gold forged stacking ring in 18k gold with flush-set orange sapphires.
“I think blending glimpses of orange with the diamond and pink sapphires in my engagement ring will make for the most joyful wedding stack that really represents my personality—that’s always what I want in my jewelry.”
Follow JCK on Instagram: @jckmagazine
Follow JCK on Twitter: @jckmagazine
Follow JCK on Facebook: @jckmagazine
