For our most recent delve into the entrepreneurial stories behind South Yorkshire businesses, Ash Birch caught up with Jessica Flinn, founder of Flinn and Steel, a Sheffield-based, artisan wedding ring maker, to find out how two lost rings spawned a whole new business…
Can you start by telling us about the ‘lightbulb moment’ which led to you setting up your business?
As with a lot of businesses, our lightbulb moment was Covid… oh, and two lost wedding rings!
I’m a trained silversmith and bench jeweller, having run my own successful jewellery brand since 2010. I specialise in unique gemstones and precious metals, but I had a client request two stainless steel wedding bands which I had made by a local supplier in Sheffield. After picking up the rings – and with a newborn baby in tow, we made the journey home only to find the rings had gone!
“Wedding rings are a symbol of commitment and love, so it should be a fantastic experience, rather than just a tick box on the wedding planning list!”
With a wedding fast approaching and no way to replace them, my husband Ollie suggested he had a go at making them. An award-winning furniture maker and designer, within days he’d bought a lathe and was turning beautiful rings.
When the Covid pandemic hit, traditional in-person jewellery appointments disappeared overnight so we had to adapt quickly. We launched Sheffield Steel Rings (Now Flinn & Steel) as an online-first brand in early 2020, with Ollie crafting them from a workshop in our garden!
Oh, and we found those rings six months later in the baby bag.
What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced while building and growing your business, and how have you overcome them?
One of our biggest challenges was certainly keeping up with demand and up-scaling production from a one-Ollie operation.
Our rings are a unique combination of precision engineering and traditional jewellery, so we now have to commission pieces from some of the best artisan makers, specialist manufacturers and workshops across the UK and Europe.
It’s been a long and highly involved process to ensure quality and control, with all designs still being hand-finished in our Sheffield offices. It now means we can offer even more styles and materials, and get them out to our customers quickly.
Can you describe your typical client and how they benefit most from your services?
We don’t really have a typical client, and I love that! We can cater to any celebration, whether you’re planning a wedding next year or something a little more last-minute!
Our free ring-sizer means you can get the perfect fit from home and you can also personalise rings with an inside engraving to make them even more special! Our customer service and design teams are incredibly knowledgeable and are contactable via showroom appointments, our social channels or on email to provide help and advice.
“Our rings are a unique combination of precision engineering and traditional jewellery, so we now have to commission pieces from some of the best artisan makers, specialist manufacturers and workshops across the UK and Europe.”
How do you feel you differ from other jewellery businesses?
Our mission is to challenge and reshape traditional perceptions of wedding jewellery. We want to debunk, demystify and simplify the wedding ring buying process and create a fun and welcoming space.
The traditional high-street jeweller can be a daunting experience if you’ve never worn rings before and they often have a level of snobbery that we don’t agree with. So, inclusivity and diversity are at the heart of Flinn & Steel whatever your background and whoever you love.
We also want to offer a unique experience whether you visit us in-person or shop online. We embrace new technologies and systems to make our jewellery accessible and approachable and fun for all. Wedding rings are a symbol of commitment and love, so it should be a fantastic experience, rather than just a tick box on the wedding planning list!
Looking ahead, what are your plans for the future?
2024 is set to be a massive year for Flinn & Steel. I can’t say too much yet but there are a lot of exciting new developments in Sheffield city centre, so maybe keep an eye out around there? Maybe…
