The wares of Wedgwood & Co are sometimes confused with those of Josiah Wedgwood & Sons Ltd. However, the inclusion of ‘& Co’ or ‘& Co Ltd’ in the name always differentiates between the two companies as Josiah Wedgwood never used ‘& Co’.
Wedgwood & Co was founded in Tunstall in 1860 by Enoch Wedgwood, a distant cousin of Josiah Wedgwood. Enoch’s sons later joined the firm and ran the company until 1900, when family control ceased.
In 1965 the company was re-floated in America as Enoch Wedgwood (Tunstall) Ltd.
In 1980 Josiah Wedgwood & Sons Ltd, (who up until this point had nothing to do with Wedgwood & Co.), purchased Enoch Wedgwood, and it operated within the Wedgwood Group as the ‘Unicorn Pottery’.
This particular pattern, ‘Orwell’, shows vibrant earthy colours with bunches of flowers on a cream-coloured background with gold trim, a classic Art deco style, particularly highlighted by indented lines.
This dish this jewellery has been crafted from dates to 1936.
As with all Goosehouse Designs jewellery, this unique jewellery is individually handcrafted by me in my studio. My upcycled, sustainable, broken china jewellery is crafted from ethically-sourced, pre-damaged, vintage china, that would otherwise end up in landfill. It is the perfect romantic gift for wedding anniversaries, birthdays, Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day and any time you want to show your love through a treasured piece of artisan jewellery.
Your Goosehouse Designs jewellery will be sent to you carefully wrapped and packaged using recycled and recyclable materials. I am committed, at all times, to operating my business in every way I can to be kinder and gentler to the planet.
The silver in this ring is sterling silver, and is stamped with the .925 stamp.
This round ring is 15mm across and 5mm deep.
The ring is fully adjustable to fit all sizes.
Wedgwood and Co, "Orwell", small round vintage china ring
The vintage china I use in my jewellery pieces is all recycled from pieces found at garage sales and op. shops, or through vintage dealers, who are happy to pass on some of their less-than-perfect items. I carefully cut out the selected section of china, shape it by hand, then grind the edges nice and smooth. I securely fix the piece into the sterling silver blank, then grout it so it stays firmly in place.
As with all artisan jewellery, some care needs to be taken to keep your piece in as-new condition.
The vintage china in your piece may well be up to a hundred years old, and needs to be treated accordingly. It is not recommended that you swim or shower whilst wearing your jewellery, nor that you wear it gardening or playing sport or any other activity where the item may get badly knocked. China is breakable, after all.
The sterling silver ring and earring hooks are easily adjustable, but care must be taken not to bend them too quickly or too sharply. As with all metals, if they are worked roughly they may break.
The sterling silver bezel will enjoy a regular simple polish with a quality silvercloth. If you do use silver polish, do not get it on the china or the grout. Do not use strong chemicals on your jewellery.