The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh has joined forces with Hamilton & Inches in a first-of-its-kind collaboration to produce a selection of luxury pieces, including earrings, a pin brooch and a range of necklaces.
For over 150 years, Hamilton & Inches has created various pieces for RCSEd, such as awards, medals, and trophies for the College’s prizegiving ceremonies, but this is the first time the Edinburgh institutions have teamed up to create a range of bespoke jewellery for its membership.
The new range is inspired by RCSEd’s sun symbol crest which is also engraved in the Edinburgh College’s historic, stained-glass windows.
Clare McNaught, RCSEd’s Honorary Secretary and Colorectal Surgeon, said:
“We are thrilled to reveal this exciting collaboration which has allowed us to create a contemporary collection of jewellery for our members and fellows which goes beyond the traditional cufflinks and kilt pins.
Traditionally, surgery has been seen as a predominately male workforce, but as a College, we see the incredible impact women are having in the surgical sphere every day, and we think it’s important to acknowledge and celebrate this.
This bespoke range beautifully reflects our heritage, whilst mixing the College’s history with a contemporary and stylish look and feel.
The team at Hamilton & Inches has done a remarkable job in paying tribute to our crest in each of the items they have created. I am hugely impressed by the technical expertise and meticulous precision in each of the pieces that we are now proud to reveal to our members.
The craftsmanship involved in creating each of the high-quality pieces and the years of training required to become a silversmith or goldsmith reminds me of the career journey surgeons go through before qualifying.”
The collection comprises a set of bold, Silver Half Sun stud earrings, a Half Sun broach and a range of exquisite Sun necklaces.
Frances Desoisa, Business Development Manager at Hamilton & Inches, said: “We were over the moon when the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh invited us to collaborate with them on this project.
Each piece has been handcrafted by our trademark silversmiths and goldsmiths, and we are delighted to build on our long-standing partnership with the College which we look forward to continuing for many years to come."
Some of the pieces previously commissioned by the College and handcrafted by Hamilton and Inches include a silver salver bequeathed to the College in the 1930s, as well as the gold President’s Badge and Chain in 1965, which is still being used to this day.
H&I was first founded in 1866 and has since become one of Edinburgh’s most prestigious names, with a long history of fine jewellery, luxury watches and hand-crafted silver, having held a Royal Warrant as silversmiths to Her Majesty the Queen for more than 120 years.