Ten Years, Tin & Silver: Jess and Ross Make Their Own Anniversary Rings

There are some commissions and projects that are lovely to make, and then there are the ones where the story behind them makes the whole thing even more special. Jess and Ross got in touch because they wanted to do something a little different to celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary: make their own silver rings together.

The traditional gift for a 10th anniversary is tin, so I wanted to bring that into the day too. I found little heart-shaped tins and stamped one with TIN YEARS as a slightly silly, very Haus of Beka nod to the occasion. Their finished rings could go inside afterwards, giving them a keepsake from the day as well as the jewellery itself.

Starting in copper

We started with copper so Jess and Ross could get comfortable with the tools and the process before moving on to silver. They measured, cut, shaped, textured, soldered and finished their practice rings themselves, learning how a flat strip of metal slowly becomes something wearable.

Working in copper first meant there was room to experiment with texture and technique without the pressure of immediately working on the final piece. It also meant they each went home with an extra ring they had made themselves, which feels like a pretty decent practice run. Poor Ross picked a harder job with a thicker copper as his practice. I wouldnt normally advise it but when it came to soldering there was a bit more of a gap than I'd normally allow, HOWEVER... since it was practice ring we decided to just "flood this bitch" with extra solder, which made Ross giggle!

Then came the silver

Once they were happy with the process, it was time for sterling silver. Ross chose a chunky band with a hammered, textured finish. Jess made a finer ring with a small disc, stamped with the initials of their children, turning it into something completely personal to their family. You'll be please to know, that after a troublesome Copper ring, Ross smashed the silver ring out of the park! Jess defo has unleashed the crafting beast!

What I love about making jewellery this way is that the tiny marks and differences aren't flaws to be hidden. They're evidence of the person who made it. These aren't factory-perfect rings picked from a tray. Jess and Ross sawed them, hammered them, soldered them and finished them with their own hands.

There's something unexpectedly absorbing about jewellery making too. Once you're concentrating on a saw line, a hammer texture or getting a solder join exactly where it needs to be, everything else tends to disappear for a bit. It is creative, practical and surprisingly mindful, even when there is a tiny blowtorch involved.

And obviously, there was champagne

Once the tools were down and the rings were finished, we headed out into the garden with a bottle of champagne. At one point I attempted to take a nice smiling photo of them and, instead of shouting the traditional 'cheese', apparently decided that 'FLOOD THIS BITCH!' was the appropriate instruction. The resulting photograph of both of them laughing with their eyes shut may actually be my favourite from the whole afternoon.

My husband joined us and the four of us sat outside for a while, drinking champagne and chatting about weddings, anniversaries and the various ways people mark ten years together. It felt like a really lovely way to finish the afternoon.

It was particularly nice timing for me because my husband and I celebrate our own 10th wedding anniversary next month, so there was plenty of comparing notes about a decade of marriage.

After such a fantastic afternoon with Jess and Ross, private Haus of Beka ring-making experiences are definitely something I want to do more of. There's something really special about helping people make a piece of jewellery themselves, especially when it marks a moment they want to remember for years to come.

Happy TIN YEARS, Jess and Ross. 🥂