Jacqui & Duncan Grant of Lava Jewellery Design

Husband and wife jewellery designer-makers Jacqui and Duncan Grant discuss working together, their favourite designs and creating jewellery for Viking Jarls and the Royal family…

I was born in Shetland and Duncan was brought up in Speyside. We met at Gray’s Art School and we’ve been together ever since. When we graduated, we worked for one of the country’s largest manufacturing jeweller, then moved to a commission jewellers in Aberdeen. We set up Lava Jewellery Design about 10 years ago. We both worked from home when Erika, our
daughter, was young, then moved to our present studio and shop in Peterculter when she started school, ‘Jacqui explained.  

‘When we’re not working, we both enjoy going on family walks with our two dogs and spending time outdoors. Jacqui loves crafts and botanical painting and I enjoy heading out on two wheels, martial arts, sea swimming and trail running,’ Duncan added. 

The pair are widely recognised as being amongst the leading designer makers working in Scotland today. Their past commissions include pieces gifted to Prince Charles, Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle. They’ve also made jewellery for the Up Helly Aa festival in Shetland, for the Jarl’s Squad and continue to make the Guiser Jarl’s twin brooches presentation shield.

Duncan continued, ‘We’re lucky in that our skills dovetail together. Jacqui works with the client on design and I manage the workshop. We both have strong opinions, but having our specific roles helps. Neither of us wanted to look back in 20 years and regret not having worked for ourselves.’ 

‘Much of our work is bespoke, either using new materials or creating something meaningful from unused family jewellery. My favourite commission was a channel set ring using diamonds and a new setting which was made from the wedding ring of the customer’s late husband, a gift to herself at Christmas. Often it’s the stories behind a piece of jewellery that make it so special. It encapsulates so much of what someone means to another person,’ Jacqui said. 

Duncan explains Lava’s blend of age-old skills and new technology, saying, ‘Traditional skills are at the heart of what we do. Whether we’re working on a new design for the shop or a bespoke piece like an engagement ring, I tend to hand carve a wax model as this means the client can see exactly what the piece will look like. Lost wax casting has been around for thousands of years. I also work directly in metal or we can use CAD if required. It depends on the final design. I supplement traditional techniques by using modern equipment, such as our laser welder, to assist in certain jobs. That said, I think some clients are still amazed when Jacqui comes out with her pencil and sketchbook, but it’s often the best starting point!

‘We’re fortunate in having a lot of knowledge of the industry, which means we can source both coloured stones and diamonds, even when the client wants something relatively unusual or rare. We have a good team behind us too so it’s great to have that support and backup. 

‘We are often asked if our daughter will want to join the business. She has great design and technical ability. She enjoys going to exhibitions at the shop and Gray’s and once she decided she would like her own mini-exhibition. She was only seven, but raised money for a local charity with work she’d helped to make herself. Currently she has no plans to follow in our footsteps, but previously, she’s assured me that when she takes over the business, she’ll allow us to keep a cabinet for our own work. That’s very reassuring!’

265 North Deeside Road, Peterculter AB14 0UL
lavajewellery.co.uk