My Store: Alex Monroe Jewellery

Alex Monroe Jewellery was founded by its eponymous owner over 30 years ago after training at the Sir John Cass School of Art in London, launching his first collection in 1987.

All of Monroe’s work is handmade in England from metals that are 60% recycled and 40% virgin, the virgin metals are all mined in Germany. All the stones are ethically sourced and the repairs and reconditioning service the company offers means the pieces it produces are sustainable.

Alex Monroe is known for its main collections that are all made in sterling silver which are also available in gold-plated finishes. Its fine jewellery range is made in solid 18ct gold, and includes wedding bands and engagement rings and even a collection ‘one of a kind’ pieces described as a “constantly growing collection of necklaces, rings, earrings and bracelets of which only one is made”. However the company is best known for its signature bumblebee design, with a majority of its jewellery inspired by nature and the British countryside.

The company states it is “proud to have a long-term commitment to local manufacturing and ethical practises”, working with long standing partners based in the UK for the casting and plating of its jewellery, and sources all of its stones from trusted and ethical suppliers.

The company’s London Boutique opened in 2012 and was the first Alex Monroe store with full-time office space. The site for the flagship building in London Bridge was found by Monroe while cycling around the area. Alex Monroe has also recently revealed plans to open a second boutique in London this summer.

The new store, set to launch this July, will be located on Floral Street in Covent Garden and will be the brand’s first store in a “high street hot spot”.