Blackacre

9 Warwick Ct, WC1R 5DJ · View on Google Maps · Visit website · 07568499544

Samuel Stirrat founded Blackacre in 2017, having started making jewellery at twelve and read geography at university. The name comes from the spot in Cornwall where a client couple got engaged. The proposition is narrow and clear: one exceptional natural stone, then a ring designed around it, rather than a setting you pick and a stone you slot in.

What makes that more than a slogan is where the stones come from. Stirrat travels to source them, and the site documents buying expeditions to Sri Lanka, Colombia, Kenya and Tanzania. For a coloured gemstone in particular, which has nothing like the certification infrastructure diamonds enjoy, who bought the stone and where matters considerably more than it does for a certificated brilliant.

They became a certified B Corp in 2024 with a score of 99.3, after what they describe as eighteen months of assessment. For context, 80 is the passing threshold and only a handful of jewellery businesses anywhere hold the certification. They also won Bespoke Jewellery Retailer of the Year at the 2026 UK Jewellery Awards.

The first consultation runs about ninety minutes and is described as educational and stone-led, which in practice means you spend it learning to see differences between stones rather than choosing between settings. From there the process runs through stone confirmation, 3D laser scanning of the chosen stone, CAD development, making, and collection.

Timescales are published, though inconsistently: the process page says five to six weeks and the buying advice page says six to seven from confirmed order. Assume six to seven and be pleased if it is quicker. Rush requests are handled case by case.

Rings start at £5,000, with published designs at £5,750, £16,000 and £18,500, and some pieces on application. Metals are recycled throughout, hallmarked at the London Assay Office. It is appointment only, three minutes from Chancery Lane, and they ask for 24 hours notice on cancellations.

There is no distribution to describe. All 96 reviews are five star, with nothing at four or below in seven years of trading. Twenty of them are from the past year, so it is still accumulating rather than coasting.

The themes track exactly what the business claims to be. Twenty-nine reviewers describe the bespoke design process specifically, 19 mention how much they were taught, and 11 note being given time with questions. Ten say the finished ring exceeded what they had pictured, and ten separately mention being kept informed while it was being made, which is the complaint you see most often at other bespoke houses.

One thing worth knowing: they reply to almost none of their reviews, five percent. That is not a service failing, and plenty of excellent jewellers ignore Google entirely, but if you are the sort of buyer who reads how a business handles public criticism, there is nothing here to read either way.

Review figures taken from Google and checked in July 2026. We recount them monthly.

This suits someone who wants a coloured stone, or a diamond chosen for its individual character rather than its certificate, and who finds the provenance question genuinely interesting rather than a box to tick. If you would enjoy a ninety-minute conversation about why two sapphires that look identical are priced differently, you will enjoy this.

The B Corp certification and recycled metals make it the strongest option on this site for a buyer to whom sourcing genuinely matters, as opposed to one who wants to be told it is fine.

It will not suit you if your budget is below £5,000, if you want to browse a case of finished rings, or if you need something in a fortnight. It is also not the place for a buyer who wants a conventional solitaire and does not much care where the stone came from, because you would be paying for expertise you have no use for.

How much do Blackacre engagement rings cost?

Published designs start at £5,000, with others at £5,750, £16,000 and £18,500, and some pieces priced on application. As the rings are built around an individual stone, the stone rather than the setting drives the final figure.

How long does a Blackacre ring take to make?

Their own pages give two figures, five to six weeks on the process page and six to seven weeks on the buying advice page, both from confirmed order. Plan for six to seven. Rush requests are considered case by case.

Can I visit without an appointment?

No. They work strictly by appointment so each client gets undivided attention. The studio is at Cobham House, 9 Warwick Court, about three minutes from Chancery Lane. They ask for 24 hours notice to cancel.

Does Blackacre use lab-grown diamonds?

Everything on their site refers to natural diamonds and coloured gemstones, and the whole proposition rests on the provenance of mined stones. They do not publish an explicit policy rejecting lab-grown, so ask directly if it matters to you.