How It's Made

Every piece from Aurelia Keeps begins the same way: with a name, a photograph, or a date that matters. What happens between that and the parcel on your doorstep is slow, deliberate, and done by hand.

The jewellery

The necklaces and lockets are stainless steel, polished to a gold or silver finish. We use steel rather than plate because it holds its colour: it will not turn a wrist green, and it will not wear thin after a season of being worn every day.

Names are cut into the metal itself, so the letters form part of the shape rather than sitting on top of it. Photographs are printed, trimmed to the heart by hand, and set so they sit flush inside the frame. Nothing is glued on as an afterthought.

The wood

The wooden pieces are solid, sustainably sourced hardwood — never veneer, never composite. Each blank is cut, sanded through four grades, and sealed with a hand-rubbed oil finish that deepens rather than coats. The grain you see is the grain that came off the board; no two pieces are identical, and we consider that the point.

The crank reel is the part we are most particular about. It is fitted by hand, tensioned so the turn is smooth but not loose, and tested through a full rotation of your photographs before the box is closed. If the action is not right, the box does not ship.

Your details

Whatever you are personalising, you give us the details when you order: names typed into the fields, or photographs uploaded straight from your phone. Have them ready before you start — we ask for everything up front so that nothing sits half-made waiting on an email.

For engraved names, keep each one to around twelve characters. Shorter names sit best. For photographs, faces close to the centre work far better than faces at the edge, and a bright image prints better than a dark one.

How long it takes

Because nothing is made in advance, allow around two weeks from the day you order. Tracked delivery is included on every order, and we will send you the tracking number as soon as your parcel is on its way.

A note on returns

Each piece is personalised and made to order, so we cannot accept returns once production has begun. If anything at all is unclear before you order, write to us — we would much rather answer a question than get it wrong.