Welcome to Silver b3 The following, we hope, will provide you with a summary to the contents of each section of this On-Line catalogue / shop, and in some cases the heritage / origins and, or the historical inspirations behind the designs and reproduction techniques.
Amongst at least one of our sections, be it Classic Gifts, Design Led Gifts, Classic Jewellery or Contemporary Jewellery ranges, many of which are unlikely to be found in any high street store, we believe you will find at least one gift option, even for the person who already has everything, whether it's for a Birthday gift, a Wedding gift, an Anniversary gift, or just a spontanious unique gift for a special person, friend or loved one.
Our Current Range of Products: The Classic and Design Led Gifts Range A diverse range of highly distinct, principally Silver Plated Gifts, and Personal Accessories of substance, distinction, and beautifully simple design elegance. The ranges in this section are broken down alphabetically into 14 subsections. They are: 1) Business Card Cases, Plus. 2) Clocks. 3) Cufflinks. 4) Desk Accessories. 5) Dining and Bar Accessories. 6) Executive Games. 7) Grooming and Cosmetic Accessories. 8) Hip Flasks. 9) Keyrings. 10) Miscellany. 11) Pens. 12) Picture / Photo Frames. 13) Smoking Accessories. 14) Travel Accessories.
The Celtic Jewellery and Gifts / Personal Accessories Range A diverse selection of authentically reproduced Celtic Jewellery and Celtic Gifts / Personal Accessories, hand crafted in solid Pewter in Cornwall, one of the last Celtic strongholds of the South West of Britain.
This wild and beautiful land was home to the many native Celts who were slowly driven out, during many decades of fierce and bloody conflict, from the temperate midlands and entire Eastern seaboard of Britain by invading European warriors, such as the Saxons, Angles, Jutes, and Franks of Northern Germany. The Celts in general identified these European warriors as one common enemy under a single banner of Saxon. The entire West of Britain, and particularly the South West, remained the last Stronghold of the British Celts for many Centuries.
It is in places such as Cornwall, Wales and Scotland that the art of the Celts and ancient Britons has survived, carved into stone tombs and discovered on pottery fragments and ornaments.
As the years went by, religious scholars and monks adopted the traditions of Celtic art, creating illuminated texts such as the Lindisfarne Gospels. Their work exemplifies the simple sophistication and originality of form and design.
As Christian beliefs spread across the world, the Celtic cross evolved, with the circle that surrounds the cross symbolising the 'great wheel of life' - a belief that is thought to predate Christianity. These carved stone crosses are scattered throughout Britain and are a common site in our Churchyards and by our roadsides today.
Celtic art reverberates through the centuries, identified by it's unique simple sophistication of form and design, felt by many to represent an indefinable feeling for the rightness of things.
Modern interpretations of Celtic tradition have given us the Arts and Crafts movement, where the ancient Celtic beliefs in elegance of form, and a reverence for the Earth and its creatures, is apparent in the work of designers such as Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Archibald Knox. The result, as reproduced in the enduring alloy of pewter, is not only a recreation of the past, but a continual evolution of living art, created by modern craftsmen for the people of today.
The Elvish Jewellery / Middle Earth Elven Range The Middle Earth Elven / Elvish Range Jewellery Range takes it's inspiration from Tolkien's 'Lord of the Rings'. All the pieces are designed and hand crafted / made in Cornwall, one of the Last Celtic Stongholds of South West Britain. Unlike the mass manufactured pieces in High Street jewellery chains, the design and engraving are of considerably greater subtlety and quality producing a much more elegant finish.
The Elvish Jewellery range, in 9ct and 18ct Gold and Sterling Silver, includes: Elvish Love Rings, Pendants, Earrings, Bangles and Bands and the Elven 'Star' Pendands and Elven Earrings, Inspired by the same 'Evenstar' Pendant as that given to Aragorn by the Elven Princess Arwen, as a token / declaration of her love, any of which might well have come direct from Middle Earth itself, though of course they didn't, .....did they !?
The Contemporary Jewellery Range, A selection of Classic and Contemporary jewellery pieces; Bangles, Bracelets, Earrings, Neck Torques / Torcs, and Necklaces, Pendants & Chains, with a blended mixture of Classic and Contemporary design lines.The Design Exclusive Hand Made Element A very rare selection of limited, design exclusive handmade Stone set jewellery pieces of substance and modern design elegance, have been introduced to our 'Contemporary Jewellery Range'. Some of the items are unique 'One-Off' designs / pieces, and for a limited time, not to be found, or available anywhere else, but this site. Most all the stoneset jewellery pieces within our Contemporary Jewellery' range are set with Gemstones, and, or some with cultured fresh water pearls, of which the shape, tint and colouring etc. of the Pearls is achieved during the growing process.PLEASE NOTE:
All Items in the 'Contemporary Jewellery' range, are made and imported from outside the UK, and excepting the '925' purity mark DO NOT have an English Assay Office Sterling Silver Hallmark.
Consequently we are not permitted, under the Hallmarking Act 1973 (As Amended) to refer to any single
items in this range, above 7.78 grams in net weight, as sterling silver or silver. However we believe to differentiate on the basis of the net weight of singular items above or below the 7.78 grams would lead to confusion. No items, therefore, will have any reference to their finish
The Classical Sterling Silver Jewellery Range, An extensive and rare collection of ART NOUVEAU JEWELLERY and ART DECO JEWELLERY Classical Jewellery. The Heritage of our Classical Sterling Silver Jewellery Range begins in 1825 with the Van Kempen family, which merged in 1855 with the Begeer family. The hand crafted manufacturing quality of their jewellery and silverware earned them the honour of being named 'Royal Van Kempen and Begeer' supplying to the Royal Households and Aristocracy of Europe. By the late 19th century the company was at it's height of success in Europe, and specialising in Victorian, and then subsequently, Art Nouveau, and Art Deco Jewellery.
In 1974 GL Nederland BV was established and was fortunate enough to acquire this honourable and proud heritage of the Dutch silver industry together with 30,000 original and well preserved design masters, all crafted by hand, using those design masters this tradition is kept alive in the 'Classical Jewellery Range' utilising a combination of past, present, new, but authentic hand finished design and reproduction techniques.
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New Products and Ranges: We regularly introduce entirely new products and items to our existing sections and ranges. We also regularly review and occassionally introduce entirely NEW SECTIONS / RANGES to our On Line store. So if you see nothing on this occasion that either appeals to you, or meets your requirements, please look again at some later date.
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