Taylor & Hart

Market position

Positions itself as a challenger in bespoke fine jewellery, aiming to become the leading online destination for bespoke engagement rings; it describes itself as one of the first jewellery companies globally to use blockchain for diamond traceability and the first UK brand to craft an engagement ring with a blockchain-tracked diamond.

Collaborative, consultant-led bespoke design delivered both online and in person, blockchain-backed gemstone provenance, ethically sourced and lab-grown stone options, and an emphasis on accessible pricing for custom fine jewellery.

Technology

An online design and customisation experience lets customers configure styles, metals and gemstones, with saved designs and quotations in customer accounts. The company uses blockchain to record and track a diamond's journey, creating an immutable provenance record; it partnered with Everledger and says it produced the first engagement ring in the UK traceable from mine to finger via blockchain.

Go-to-market

Primarily digital acquisition supported by word-of-mouth referrals, complemented by physical retail and consultation venues: a Covent Garden store and City of London showroom, a Manchester showroom, a New York showroom and a London workshop, plus virtual consultations. The company has also run pop-up experiences, including an in-store trunk show at Fortnum & Mason.

Consumers buying engagement and wedding rings, particularly digitally savvy and sustainability-conscious millennial and Gen-Z buyers seeking personalised rather than commoditised designs.

Geography

Headquartered in London with rings crafted there; retail and consultation locations include Monmouth Street (Covent Garden) and Gracechurch Street (City) in London, a Brownlow House workshop, a Manchester showroom at Hardman Square and a New York showroom. Roughly half the team is based in Sofia and half in London, with staff across four to five countries and customers in the UK, USA and Europe.

History

Sources give differing dates for the start of the business: a 2019 report states it was founded in 2012 by Nikolay Piriankov, David Sutton and Shane Hunt; the founder said in 2022 that the business launched in 2013; and a 2023 investor announcement refers to launching in 2014. The company initially bootstrapped, then raised friends-and-family capital after establishing proof of concept, followed by further rounds including LaunchHub/Launchub Ventures, The Garage Soho (the investment vehicle of Sir John Hegarty) and Active Partners. In 2019 it raised $4.35 million (£3.6M) led by Active Partners to fund a Mayfair showroom, New York expansion and marketing. In 2022 it ran a crowdfunding campaign on Seedrs while raising an extension to its previous round, which closed in April 2023 at £3.5 million.

Risks & controversies

The founder cited the Covid-19 pandemic as the business's biggest challenge, including uncertainty over strategy and team job security, which the company addressed by expanding online customisation and virtual consultations.