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Blackacre: The award winning bespoke jeweller doing it the hard way
Blackacre’s founder, Samuel Stirrat, tells Country Life how a childhood encounter led to a career creating delightful, one-of-a-kind jewellery.
Founded in 2017, Blackacre has quickly established an international reputation for bespoke engagement rings and fine jewellery. With an emphasis on sourcing exquisite stones, elegant designs and a highly customer-focused approach, every piece crafted is imbued with meaning and deeply personal. Blackacre is one of only a handful of luxury jewellers to be B Corp Certified, meeting remarkably high standards for sustainability and traceability, and has won awards including Bespoke Jeweller of the Year at the National Association of Jewellers Awards 2025.
The company’s founder, Sam Stirrat, talks about his journey and the service that makes Blackacre extraordinary, enabling them to challenge the traditional old guard of luxury. Blackacre is a brand built on raw passion and a steely determination to create joy. From our conversation with Sam it's clear to see why this has built them a loyal community of discerning clientele.
From left to right: Founder Samuel Stirrat, who travels to countries in search of exceptional gems, on a sourcing expedition in Sri Lanka; Blackacre's central London show room; a bespoke pink diamond creation
You began collecting gemstones at nine years old — do you remember the moment it evolved from collection-building to creating something?
As a child, I went to arts & crafts fairs with my Mum, who worked as an artist restoring paintings. One year, I met a lady making jewellery from wire and beads and ended up having a lesson with her. I immediately felt a sense of purpose, as if I had found ‘my thing’, uniting my creativity, fascination with gemstones and the feeling one gets from making something meaningful for somebody. I had one lesson and taught myself thereafter. I’m still driven by that sense of purpose today.
Samuel Stirrat began creating jewellery as a child, working with copper wire and glass beads
You have a ‘stone-led’ design ethos. What does this mean in practice?
My passion began with the stones and a desire, beyond creating meaningful pieces, to showcase them as beautifully as possible. The foundation of each piece is designed around specific stones chosen by each client, which both incoproates the charisma of the stones and the personality of the wearer. From choosing settings, metal types, accompanying gemstones and small details, a vision is brought to life one step at a time and means that the diamonds and gemstones are seen to their full potential. The jewellery is proportionate, elegant and thoroughly personal.
What are the benefits of your bespoke approach to engagement rings?
Jewellery should carry meaning, and an engagement ring created specifically for someone epitomises this. We work collaboratively with individuals to create one-of-a-kind engagement rings tailored to their unique stories and desires. Each step of the journey is tailored to a client’s need and we pride ourselves in going beyond what is expected — from hand-drawing designs to sourcing or cutting specific stones from across the world — and treat each piece as if it were our own. We pride ourselves on traceability and transparency, immersing people in the creative process and bringing the design to life together. Bespoke says ‘I love you’ in a way that no off-the-shelf ring could.
Taking into account 'the unique peculiarities and personality of each stone' is part of Samuel Stirrat's philosophy at Blackacre.
Is there a client story that best explains why people keep recommending you to friends?
We have grown through word of mouth based on the quality of our work and the experience we provide. We go to lengths others will not go to and take joy in delivering unexpected moments of delight, from simple things such as welcoming clients as we would friends to cycling through the snow in winter to deliver in time for Christmas as I did some years ago. We recognise the importance of jewellery, are not restricted by corporate frameworks, and we show we care. If you look after people, then people look after you.
The Blackacre team on an expedition to Colombia, the most sought after location for emeralds in the world. The small team of experts go to lengths that others might not in creating the perfect piece.
If somebody reading this has never heard of Blackacre, what’s the one thing you would want them to understand about how you work?
Blackacre is all about creating beautiful, meaningful jewellery, whether that’s bespoke engagement rings or our core collections. We balance exceptional craftsmanship with a level of care that we believe is unmatched in the industry. The people you will meet are expert gemmologists, designers and jewellers who share the same aim of giving people the most amazing experience and expertise. More than anything, we want others to share in the joy of the creative journey, from showing you where we sourced the stones to regular updates from inside the workshop. We want to welcome you into our world.
Sam Stirrat spoke to Amie Elizabeth White, Country Life's Acting Luxury Editor. For further information, visit www.blackacreldn.com or telephone 07568 499544.
The Sotogrande — a bespoke yellow diamond engagement ring by Blackacre.
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