An art history student from Exeter University, Cece Fein Hughes’ native Dartmoor cradled her love of all things time beyond. Roped with her connection to the sea, Cece and her mother would indulge in their shared love of high art and historical paintings. This often found the two at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum. Here, Cece happened upon a single object that would ignite CeCe Jewellery’s inception. On exhibit was a gold band from the Renaissance, a French-made bracelet swirling with pink-and-white enameled flowers. An Old World love promise’s motif, the band’s historic artistry whispered of a forgotten tradition. Champleve Enamel, a meticulous fired-to-gold jewelry craft, dates back to the Byzantine Empire and is the foundation for all of Cece’s designs today.
After honing her skills at the British Academy of Jewellery, Cece took to the iconic workshops of London’s Hatton Garden to incorporate one-of-a-kind hand-carving, -painting, and -enameling into her brand. Today, Cece Jewellery’s collections of rings, pendants, and earrings all tell a tale through historic, Hellenic, and modern tattoos inspired by nautical imagery such as A Sailor’s Superstition, Shark & Anchor, and Secrets of the Sea.
“The mythical creatures and legends in my work are a reminder of the fascinations of my childhood,” said Cece on her website. “I understand the mysteries and meaning contained in those tales [...] and pour my inspiration into jewelry.”
Tales & Talismans
“Do you long to sail into the unknown?” This is the question asked by Tales of the Land, Cece’s talisman collection. The Adventurer Charm is a coin-like charm of 18ct yellow gold framed by naturally mined colorless diamonds. One side of the charm is a blue-winged swallow that soars through a sky of twinkling diamonds. Flip it over and find an engraved anchor, symbolic of a sailor's journey soon to begin. “Adventurer” is branded below the anchor, solidifying the wearer’s identity as a free spirit the likes of wave-riding seafarers.
The Shark & Anchor Charm, a symbol inspired by traditional sailor tattoos and the ink on Cece’s deep-sea diver father, has a blue-enameled shark with its tail looped around an engraved anchor. Reminiscent of a seaman’s tales of the deep, humming with an old shanty, Shark & Anchor captures a sailor’s heart.
Rings, earrings, pendants and locket necklaces complete the collection. The dual-faced Adventurer Charm and other talismans such as the blazing heart Lover’s Charm and the crowned lion Warrior’s Charm are available in any category.
Extraordinary Lovers
Sea, sky, and land clash in an explosion of the elements, as fiery as new love. The Secrets of the Sea Locket paints a scene of ocean secrets revealed: a detailed conch shell carries a message in a bottle. A love letter? A poem? Or is it a proposal, as suggested by “Marry Me?” engraved on the locket’s inside panel? Worn close to the heart, Secrets of the Sea is an intimate symbol of the silent language between lovers.
The Apple of My Eye Locket clicks open to a succulent red apple, depicted after submitting to temptation. Missing a bite-sized chunk, the apple sits on a bed of colorless diamonds, pierced with an arrow of discovered passion.
Rings
All charms can be crafted into rings. Signets and pendant rings allow the talismans to take center stage. Rings like Secrets of the Sea, Apple of My Eye, and Window to the Soul flaunt a mounted gemstone and enamel the motifs in a landscape of watercolor scenes that hug the ring’s sides.
It wouldn’t be a Cece Jewellery piece without its customization options. Lockets offer custom engraving, as they often do, but each piece takes it a step further. Through one-on-one consultations, Cece’s team of master enamelers take a client’s original idea, emotion, or image and transform it into a one-of-a-kind piece. Whether it’s a ring, locket, or pendant necklace, shape and cut are all in the hands of the wearer. Clients get their pick of colored gemstones, hand-painted symbols, and engraved art. From there, the artisans craft a tale into art through traditional goldsmith and enameling techniques.
Cece’s method is old-school. It all starts with pencil, paper, and watercolors. Original watercolor images or a digital painting rendering allows the enamellers to play with color that lives beyond one-shade diamonds and solid metal bases like gold or silver. The result? A prototype of fine jewelry that brims with color. Once the design’s final rendition is approved, it is sent to the workshop in London’s iconic jewelry quarter. Another distinctive element of Cece’s aesthetic is her signature satin polish, a finish that gives its gold a soft canvas ripe for each motif to come to life.
All rings, earrings, and pendants start as blanks or casts, which are then meticulously hand-forged, engraved, painted, and enameled. Slow-made with devoted, expert human hands, Cece Jewellery is an undeniable echo of the goldsmiths and jewel craftsmen along Florence’s Ponte Vecchio. In both places, timeless heirloom accessories are still produced as they’ve been for centuries: with love transcending space, time, and history.
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