All jewellery should tell a story, but few brands can beat 886 by The Royal Mint in terms of the legacy behind every piece. The mint is the official maker of Britain’s coins, and was founded more than 1100 years ago, in 886. In 2022 it launched 886, its luxury lifestyle and jewellery arm, which combines its history in traditional craftsmanship and metals with a modern, sustainable approach to design. It’s no mere afterthought for the mint – leading jewellery designer Dominic Jones has been at 886’s helm since it started, and its designs have been worn by everyone from Lily Allen to Cillian Murphy.
The label’s new collection – which is named Aurum after the Latin word for gold, and also nods to gold’s symbol on the periodic table (Au) – has just dropped. Fittingly, the pieces riff on a bullion silhouette.
While The Royal Mint is an instantly recognisable institution, Jones has an unrivalled reputation of his own. He was the first jewellery designer to win the British Fashion Council’s New Gen Award in 2009, and went on to receive the accolade four more times.
Anna Wintour discovered Jones at his first show. “That moment that changed my career and life,” he tells Broadsheet. And the style crowd has been at his feet ever since; his eponymous label, known for its rock’n’roll designs featuring claws and teeth, has been worn by everyone from David Bowie to Beyoncé.
Joining such a historic business might have seemed like a leftfield choice for Jones. But he explains what excited him most about the role is the brand’s sense of social responsibility. “It’s so amazing to be working on something where sustainability is hard-wired into the design,” he says. All his collections are made at The Royal Mint in South Wales from precious metals sourced from discarded electronic waste such as laptops and mobile phones, as well as reclaimed sterling silver.
The pieces in the Aurum collection are sculptural, fluid takes on the bullion in 18 carat gold and sterling silver, some featuring pavé for added bling. Showstoppers include a necklace made with links shaped like discs of a diced bar; chunky huggie earrings; and bangles made to look like a distorted version of the bullion silhouette – stretched into an organic shape that catches the light at all the right angles.
Yasmin Sewell, the fashion industry stalwart and founder of sustainable fragrance and wellness brand Vyrao, stars in the Aurum collection campaign. “Yasmin has championed my work my whole career,” Jones says. “She’s so incredibly talented and I’m a huge fan of what she’s created; her sense of style, how she shows up in this world with grace and passion. I couldn’t think of a better person to represent this collection, and I was so grateful when she said yes.”
During his tenure at 886, Jones’s pieces have become favourites with stars like Allen (“She was living in our Teardrop pendant for six months, she didn’t take it off”), and he has collaborated on collections with Stella McCartney and Elton John. His ideal 886 customer is anyone who “notices detail”.
“While they aren’t flashy they aren’t meek either, they care about style, they aren’t bystanders to culture, they are in the middle of it,” he says.
The collection is now available online and at 886’s Burlington Arcade boutique.
