OUR SETTING

We have been pleasing our customers from all over the world for over 18 years with our range of Celtic Jewellery and Celtic Leatherwork. Celtic designs, Classical designs and worldwide cultural inspirations also feature widely in our work and product range.

We are based within the historic grounds of Traquair House in the Stables building which we use as our workshop and studio. Visitors to our studio/workshop can see a wide range of our jewellery, belts, highland dress accessories and Tiaras on display and may also see us working on pieces of jewellery and leatherwork.  We often make up belts and pieces of jewellery during your visit to the House and grounds, or offer a mail-order service.

Traquair House is Scotland's oldest continually inhabited house and this year celebrates its 900th Anniversary Year (1107 - 2007). Dating back to 1107 it was originally a hunting lodge for the kings and queens of Scotland. Later a refuge for Catholic priests in times of terror the Stuarts of Traquair supported Mary Queen of Scots and the Jacobite cause without counting the cost.

Today Traquair is a unique piece of living history welcoming visitors from all over the world, providing a magical and romantic setting for weddings, hosting a wide range of summer events and a superb venue for corporate groups. You can even stay here in the luxurious Bed & Breakfast accommodation.

Visitors are invited to enjoy the house, extensive grounds, maze, craft workshops, 1745 Cottage Restaurant and the famous Traquair House Brewery housed in the eighteenth century wing and producing the world famous Traquair House Ales.

OUR INSPIRATATIONS

Much of our work is inspired by Celtic Art . The Celtic Knot is one of the best known motifs in Celtic jewellery and art. The delicate twists and turns are found in ancient stone art and tattoos, in illuminated manuscripts- in fact, just about anywhere the Celtic people have travelled. Similar designs exist in Norse culture, and as far as China.

While many of the ancient designs certainly had some spiritually significant meaning, these have been lost to the ages. The continual looping of the designs suggests themes of eternity and interconnectedness, and knots may have been made at one time to foil evil spirits. Interwoven figures of people and animals may have represented the interdependent nature of life-two or more knots laced together symbolize lovers, hunters and their prey, God and man, etc. Some knots were used as magical talismans for protection.

The more modern designs, such as those found in decorated Christian scriptures, were mainly decorative designs used for ornamentation. Other relatively modern designs include linked hearts and other "love knots," Christian crosses, harps, shamrocks, and other folk symbols, and so on.

A general rule of thumb is: the shape of the design often determines the "meaning" of a knotwork design- triskele and trefoil shapes should be regarded as triskeles, bird, fish, and animal designs represent the attributes of the animal, etc. Circles represent unity or eternity, spirals reincarnation or cycles of life and rebirth, triangles and trefoils the threefold dominions of earth, sea, and sky. Squares or four-fold shapes are shield knots, symbols of protection from spirits or malevolent influence. Interlaced animals and men usually represent relationships, or emphasize the interdependence of mankind and nature.

Zoomorphic art also inspires our Celtic Jewellery and Celtic Leatherwork range. Zoomorphic ornaments are those based upon the forms of animals, birds and reptiles.  Such designs can be found in our Celtic Jewellery, in our Celtic Brooches, Celtic Hairslides, Celtic Buckles, Kilt Buckles and Celtic designs on our Celtic Leather Belts.

We often incorporate Celtic Horses, Celtic Birds and legendary creatures such as Celtic Dragons in our range of Celtic Jewellery and Celtic Leatherwork. Our range of Celtic Jewellery is extensive.  We make silver Celtic Jewelley and gold Celtic Jewellery and we use base metals for the remainder of our Celtic Jewellery, including Celtic Hairslides, Celtic Bangles, Celtic Buckles and Kilt Buckles.

Your wedding is one of the most significant days of your life, so we understand that all the details are covered.  We have helped hundreds of brides and grooms choose their Wedding Accessories for their special day over the 18 years that we have been handcrafting our Handmade Tiaras.  Many of our Tiaras are unique and feature Celtic and Zoomorphic designs.  Our Celtic Tiaras are very popular with brides planning a Celtic-themed wedding or Medieval-themed wedding.  We also have made unique headpieces for couples who have celebrated 'handfasting' ceremonies, so we are very versatile and happy to be part of completing the perfect wedding outfit.

The Tiara is the finishing touch to the Bride's wedding outfit and can be worn with pride on the day of her marriage!

Our Celtic Tiaras are only available from us to us and we can also make original commissioned Tiaras specific the the Bride's request.  Our Tiaras are available in a gold-plated finish, which is shiny and eyecatching, an antique-gold finish, which is bronze coloured, a silver plated finish. which is shiny and also an antiqued silver finish, which is a subdued silver colour.

Our range of Designer Celtic Tiaras use the combination of free-flowing gold or silver wirework with a small Celtic piece often off-set on the circular band of the Tiara.  With a mixture of different gemstones, these Celtic head-dresses are unique and very feminine.  We offer the choice of Brides choosing their own colours of gemstones to match the wedding dress and bouquets in this instance.  Any enquiries can be made on our contact page, by telephone or email.

So often, we have visitors to our studio/workhshop who love the Tiaras and wish they had seen them before their own wedding or indeed wish they had an occasion to wear one!

Our WEDDING GIFT SETS are high quality and unusual. The high polished Pewter Quaich is a perfect wedding gift, symbolising the sharing of a toast to love or celebrations, such as the birth of a newborn.  The handmade Celtic Bottle opener, Celtic Corkscrew, Celtic Coasters, Celtic Wine bottle holder all provide great wedding gift ideas!  Each piece is handcrafted in UK and presented in a gift box.

 Most of our highland dress accessories could be a great source of pleasure for any Groom or Best Man with the extensive range of kilt buckles, kilt belts, sporrans, kilt pins, sgian dubhs and cufflinks to choose from.

For the lady members of the wedding party, there is a wide range of Celtic Jewellery to choose from, including Celtic Earrings, Celtic pendants, Celtic Bracelets, Celtic Bangles, Celtic Brooches, Celtic Rings and of course our Celtic Bridal Tiaras! Most of our jewelley is available in Sterling Silver or 9 carat gold, with the hairslides and bangles available in base metals.  We can use any gemstone in the pieces of jewellery that have settings for stones, so contact us for that special gift, such as matching the gemstone to the birthstone of the recipient.

We also have a couple of beautiful, yet delicate Bridesmaids Tiaras for the 'younger than teenage' bridesmaids.  They will feel like a special part of the day in their 'princess tiara', which is handmade in UK.

BROWSE THROUGH OUR WEBSITE WITH THE SPECIAL COUPLE IN MIND AND WE ARE SURE YOU WILL FIND SOMETHING TO PLEASE THEM!

We now offer a wide range of gold jewellery which is handcast in our own studio/workshop.  Much of our range is Gold Celtic Jewellery as inspired by the timeless beauty of Celtic art.  We offer a wide range of gold Celtic Rings, Gold Celtic Pendants and Gold Celtic Earrings. 

We understand that some people only wear gold and they appreciate its worth and quality.  Most of our work is made in hallmarked 9 carat gold, however we can make gold jewllery in 14 carat and 18 carat purity on request. We can also make our Celtic Jewellery in white gold and rose gold.

The process of making gold jewellery is the same as making silver jewellery. 

We handcarve an original design in wax
We make a 'master' copy of the wax in silver
We make a rubber mould around the silver 'master-piece'
We make wax injection copies of the masterpiece which are then cast in silver or gold
This process is called 'lost wax casting'.  The first stage once the mould is available requires the designs to be made to be made in wax.  We solder the waxes onto a rubber base, gluing the designs onto a tree formation, which allows more than one piece to be made at one time. Then we handmix the special investment powder to specific ratios of tepid water to make a smooth flowing paste.  This is put through a vacuum to remove any air bubbles, then poured into the metal flasks surrounding the wax designs on their 'tree'. The full metal flask is then vacuumed before they are put aside to set overnight.  When the 'clay' is sufficiently dried out, the flasks are baked in a hot kilt at certain pre-set temperatures to release the wax from the flask.  'This is the lost wax process'. The flasks are then ready for the molten gold, silver or bronze to be forced into the spaces that the wax has left with the use of a centrifuge. After the metal has been forced into the mould it is plunged into water, causing the clay to crack open, revealing the tree of gold or silver jewellery.

The jewellery at this stage looks like something dug up on an archaelogical dig and requires sawing, filing and polishing to bring it alive to be the fine Celtic Jewellery we sell on our website or from our studio/workshop!

We  a wide range of silver jewellery which is handcast in our own studio/workshop.  Much of our range is SILVER CELTIC JEWELLERY as inspired by the timeless beauty of Celtic art.  We offer a wide range of silver Celtic Rings, Silver Celtic Pendants and Silver Celtic Earrings and Silver Brooches.

We are proud to offer an extensive range of Gent's Accessories suitable for everyday wear, such as our Cufflinks or for highland dress, such as our kilt pins.  We know how important it is to finish the outfit with fine details such as cufflinks and kilt pins.  These are a couple of accessories that all men can wear to really complete the highland dress outfit. Therefore, we offer a wide range of sterling silver cufflinks which are handcast in Scotland.  Many of these are Celtic Cufflinks as their appeal is timeless and also traditional, matching the other elements of highland dress.  Our Pewter Cufflinks are also very well made and feature Celtic designs, Masonic designs, Thistle designs, basically everything that Scotsman are proud of!  All our cufflinks are presented in a stainless steel domed box, making them ideal gifts for gents.

Our Sterling Silver Kilt Pins and Pewter Kilt Pins are meticulously handmade in Scotland and are of a very high quality. 

The Kilt Pins and Cufflinks we sell are ideal gifts for weddings and provide great gift ideas for Grooms and their Best Man, as well as for the special man in your life!

An alternative way of wearing the Kilt Pin is on the lapel of a jacket, which is very appealing and eye-catching for ladies with a classical and fashionable eye!

The Kilt Buckles and Kilt Belts were one of our first products that we made when we began our business in Scotland.  It was obvious from the choices of Kilt Buckles and Kilt Belts available in the highstreet, that many are imported and therefore not of a quality that makes them something to be proud to wear with the highland dress on special occasions such as Weddings and Celidhs. We already were in the business of etching our own range of jewellery, so etched Kilt Buckles were an extension of our product range which reflected the country where we lived.

We have sold hundreds of Kilt Buckles to happy customers worldwide and we know that the intricacy of the designs are very appealing and also very distinctive and different to machine-pressed, Chrome-plated kilt buckles. Our eched Kilt Buckles are made in solid sheet brass or nickel-silver, silk-screened with an acid resistant ink and etched in nitric acid.  This produces fine details with a depth where the acid has eaten around the protected designwork covered in the ink.  We also make Sterling Silver Kilt Buckles, made in the same way as the nickel-silver and brass-etched kilt buckles.  The silver kilt buckles are hallmarked in Edinburgh with our maker's mark and date mark, making them special and ideal as an heirloom, handed down over the years to the younger Kilt Wearer!

Our Pewter Kilt Buckles are also great quality and are handcast in Scotland.  They offer a heavier weight of kilt buckle to the etched kilt buckle and fit all standard kilt belts.

The Kilt Belts which we make are of a very high quality as we only buy the best quality, full-grain Italian Black and Brown Leather.  This is taken from the shoulder of the animal, which has less stretch than leather taken from the side of the animal. The leather we use is from cows. In comparison, we also stock a range of Kilt Belts which are made from 'splits'.  This is a thin piece of leather which has been backed onto a reconstituted leather backing.  the top of the belt will look the same, or similar, but we recommend a full-grain Leather Kilt Belt for durability and quality. The full-grain leather is one piece and has no stitching that may weaken over time, so the Kilt belt lasts, becoming more supple with wear and we would expect one of our Kilt Belts to last 10-20 years depending on how often it is worn.

The Celtic designed Kilt Belts we make offer a different style to the traditional black leather Kilt belt.  These are hand-pressed and hand-dyed on a natural full-grain, vegetable tanned leather.  The hand-dyeing results in the Celtic designs being very eyecatching and these belts look particularly good with a brass-etched Kilt buckle due to the colours working well together.

The Black Kilt belts also can feature Celtic knotwork, Celtic Dragons or Celtic Wolf and Moon designs, but these are more subtle and less obvious than the hand-dyed, two-tone Kilt Belts.

A Sporran is an essential piece of Highland dress to accompany a Scotsman?s kilt. It has its traditions from as early as the twelfth century, when Highland warriors wore the small bag, know as a 'scrip'. The Sporran is a practical highland dress accessory.  Unlike trousers, the kilt does not provide pockets and so the sporran was born out of necessity. A survival of the medieval purse, the Sporran was the Highlander's pocket they didn?t have. Today, Scotsmen wear their Sporran with pride, it is the only traditional 'handbag', so it is important that is is both practical and of a worthy quality.

Our Leather Sporrans are made in Scotland and finished to a high quality.  Our Leather Sporrans are a more casual highland dress accessory, sometimes known as 'day wear'.  This means that our leather sporrans are ideal for wearing during the day at the celebratory events such as weddings, although they certainly are not out of place at evening Celidhs!  Our range of Sporrans offer a variation to the 'seal skin' or 'furry' sporrans that may be termed 'formal wear' 

Sporrans are a gent's accessory and each design has its own particular appeal.  Individual taste will dictate the preference from our range of Sporrans.  From the more tradional tasselled plain black sporran or the contrasting appeal of the Celtic/Zoomorphic hand-dyed leather sporran.  Each of our sporrans are sold with a free chain and leather strap, making them ready for immediate wear.  Our Sporrans are made in Scotland and are made using the finest full-grain leather.

SGIAN DHUS are another piece in the jigsaw of highland dress accessories. The origins of the word 'Sgian Dubh' comes from the Gaelic meaning "black knife", where "black" may refer to the usual colour of the handle of the knife. The sgian dubh also resembles the small skinning knife that is part of the typical set of hunting knives. These knives usually had antler handles.  The "spear-point" tip has now become universal & scalloped filework on the back of the blade is common on all Scottish knives. Since the modern wearer of the sgian dubh does not intend the blade for cutting food or self-defense, blades are now of a simple (but not unglamorous) construction.

The Sgian Dhu is a traditional part of Highland dress, worn in the sock, with the scabbard hidden and the handle visble.

We offer a small selection of Sgian Dhus with the price scale reflecting the quality of the materials used to make them.  The choices of handles vary from resin to wood, the choice of scabbard varies from plastic to leather and the metal finishing varies from plated metal to sterling silver.  There is something for every gent here!

LEATHER BELTS

We have been making leather belts professionally for 18 years.  The leather we have discovered to be the best quality and most suited for belts is full-grain Italian Leather.  This is taken from the shoulder section of the animal and has the least amount of stretch, so the belt keepers its shape, becoming more supple with age. We are happy to say that our Leather Belts are handcrafted in Scotland.

Our LEATHER BELTS are of a high quality and we use solid brass buckles in most cases.  If the customer prefers, we can use silver-plated buckles for a black and silver belt combination. Quite often we make leather belts for customers while they wait when they are visiting our studio/workshop.  This provides a custom-made service, where the customer can choose the colour of leather and style of BELT BUCKLE.  We also offer a mail-order service for our Leather Belts.

Indeed, we have had many customers re-visit our premises still wearing the same leather belt many years later(sometimes 10-15 years later), saying that the belt is still holding up!  Our handmade leather belts are very durable and good value for money compared to those found in high street, which are often made from
'leather splits'.  This is when a thin shaving of real leather is sealed onto a backing material.  This type of belt can crack or the stitching can come away, so you really do get what you pay for!

The colours of our leather belts are Black Italian, Brown Italian (pre-dyed  leather shoulders) or hand-dyed natural leather, which is sourced from England.  The natural leather can be hand-dyed any combination of London Tan, Chestnut red, Mahogany Red and Dark oak colours. 

The belts are usually hand-grooved to provide some detailing along the belts and our Celtic leather Belts are hand-pressed with Celtic or Zoomorphic designs, then hand-dyed in combinations of two different colours, to highlight the fine Celtic Designs.

Our Celtic Belt Buckles are available in finely-etched Nickel-Silver or Brass.  These fit different widths of trousers and jeans, trews etc.  We also stock a wide selection of Pewter Celtic Buckles which are made to a high standard and sold on our leather belts. Again, we can custom make the belt to be any colour of leather or with a wide range of Celtic designs on the leather belt.

We can make most sizes of belt which are outwith the normal size ranges in highstreet shops as we buy the whole shoulder of leather.  Usually this measures 56" in length.  We can also make children's belts in the same style as adult's belts on request, at a lower price than advertised on our website.

We stock a wide range of high quality leather accessories . Our products range includes:

• Celtic Leather Guitar Strap (hand-pressed & hand-dyed)
• Celtic leather wristlets
• Celtic Leather hair barrettes (leather with wooden stick)
• Celtic Leather coasters (in sets of 4)
• Celtic/Medieval style leather purses
• Leather Tray Purses (with or without metal trim) 'Leather Horseshoe Purse'
• Leather Wallets

All the Celtic designed Leather accessories are handcrafted by ourselves in Scotland or handmade in UK by another leather craftsperson.

The leather wallets and purses are a recently new addition to our range which offers more choice in our leather accessories available on our website.