Partridge Engagements - Together Journal

If it’s a nervous man on the quest to find that perfect ring to add the magic to the asking of one of life’s biggest questions, Gabrielle makes sure to put him at ease. “It’s about understanding that it’s going to be fun and actually a lot easier than you think.

Every day when she goes to work, Gabrielle Hanna gets to share life-changing moments with people she’s just met. For the bridal and engagement specialist at Partridge Jewellers, the blissed-out, loved-up state of her clients is one of the best parts of the job. “I’m dealing with people who are so happy, so excited — they’ve got their whole lives ahead of them, and they’re going to spend it with this person they’re completely in love with,” she says.

When Gabrielle joined Partridge to focus exclusively on bridal and engagement jewellery, she’d already spent an illustrious 12 years in the industry, working in customer service, design and management, with heritage houses as well as with young groundbreaking designers. But no matter how seasoned she was, Partridge Jewellers — with its unrivalled pedigree— was still an eye-opener. “There’s an extraordinary wealth of knowledge here,” she says. “The business has been in the same family for six generations, since the 1860s, so a passion for fine jewellery and a deep understanding of how it’s crafted has been handed down. Partridge also offers the best-of-the-best in terms of diamonds and gemstones because of their relationships with suppliers which they’ve had for a really long time. They obtain quality with ease.”

With solid foundations beneath them, Partridge ensures complete reliability, as Gabrielle attests, “They’re very transparent and trustworthy with clients. You know that whatever they promise, they’ll be able to deliver.”

Gabrielle’s passion for design has always been evident, starting her career with a degree in architecture. While designing buildings had been her childhood dream, she discovered her true calling during her time at a fine jeweler’s as a weekend job. “My love for jewellery was awakened. I relished being surrounded by it, and there was so much to learn. Who knew that sapphires aren’t just blue but come in every colour under the sun? Witnessing the myriad variations nature creates was truly exciting. Moreover, helping people on their journey to find the perfect piece brought me immense satisfaction.”

Architecture to jewellery might seem like a sharp pivot, but to Gabrielle, it was a natural progression. “Jewellery really relates to architecture. In both cases, it has to be structurally sound — there’s a lot of practicality, especially with something like an engagement ring, which you want to be exquisite, but you’re also going to wear every day for the rest of your life. So it has to be comfortable, and strong enough to take some knocks.”

A tailored bridal and engagement service Gabrielle’s brief when she joined Partridge was clear: to focus exclusively on bridal and engagement jewellery, offering clients a tailored service to ensure their dreams are fulfilled. “We have a huge array of rings that clients can pick from in-store. There’s our timeless core collection and also a seasonal collection which will be out later this year, which is still classic but a little more current, a little more boundary-pushing. And then if there’s something else a client wants, it’s usually easy for us to obtain. Or we can create a completely bespoke.

As anyone who has gone part-way down this path will know, there is a dizzying number of decisions to be made about an object as small as a ring. Which precious metal? Diamond or gemstone? Pear, square, oval, halo or perhaps a toi et moi? (That last one refers to the popular two-stoned ring, teaming a diamond with a coloured gemstone, or maybe two diamonds of different shapes). Should we pour our budget into a diamond of utmost glittering quality and compromise on size, or opt for a whopper, or find a balance between the two? Anything is possible, and Gabrielle is there to talk it through. “No two clients are the same,” she says. “Some are all about the diamond, others are about the design of the ring, and you can never predict what someone will want.”

As anyone who has gone part-way down this path will know, there is a dizzying number ofdecisions to be made about an object as small as a ring. Which precious metal? Diamond or gemstone? Pear, square, oval, halo or perhaps a toi et moi? (That last one refers to the popular two-stoned ring, teaming a diamond with a coloured gemstone, or maybe two diamonds of different shapes). Should we pour our budget into a diamond of utmost glittering quality and compromise on size, or opt for a whopper, or find a balance between the two? Anything is possible, and Gabrielle is there to talk it through. “No two clients are the same,” she says. “Some are all about the diamond, others are about the design of the ring, and you can never predict what someone will want.”

As to whether she deals mainly with singles or couples, Gabrielle estimates it’s 50/50: sometimes it’s a lone man or woman; other times, a newly engaged couple will choose the ring together — or take the next step and select wedding bands — which also fall into Gabrielle’s wheelhouse.

With the most mesmerizing stones and finely crafted rings under her gaze every day, I have to ask: What would Gabrielle’s dream engagement ring be? She thinks it over (pointing out that she’s actually engaged herself). “I would probably pick a pear,” she says. “A solitaire. I always err toward things that are quite simple, a little more pared back.”

And what about the stone — an emerald? A sapphire? Something yellow or pink or aquamarine? It’s an easy decision for Gabrielle. “Definitely a diamond,” she says. “I just love them.”