About Jewellery By Design NZ
Jewellery made to mean more
Jewellery By Design NZ is an independent Christchurch jewellery studio founded by jeweller and designer Charlie Lattimore.
For six years, Charlie has worked closely with clients to create bespoke engagement rings, meaningful remodelling projects and one-of-a-kind jewellery built around exceptional natural gemstones. Every piece is approached individually, with its own proportions, structure and character—never selected from a catalogue or reproduced as a standard design.
The work combines considered design, modern precision and hands-on jewellery-making to create pieces that feel distinctive, substantial and made to endure.
Designed by Charlie, with you
Working directly with the person designing and making your jewellery changes the experience.
Charlie takes the time to understand what matters to you: the person the piece is for, the significance behind it, how it will be worn and what you want it to express. You do not need to arrive with a complete design—or know the language of jewellery—to begin.
Some clients bring a clear vision. Others begin with a gemstone, an inherited piece or only a sense of what feels right. Charlie guides the process, develops the design and explains each decision clearly, allowing the final piece to take shape through genuine collaboration.
The aim is not simply to make something attractive. It is to create jewellery that feels unmistakably yours.
A design-led approach
Charlie’s work begins with structure rather than decoration.
Proportion, gemstone orientation, setting geometry, comfort and longevity are considered together from the outset. Initial ideas are developed through drawing, careful stone selection and detailed computer-aided design, allowing the piece to be examined and refined before it reaches the bench.
Traditional jewellery-making skills remain central to the process. Modern design and manufacturing tools provide precision, but it is the judgement applied at the bench—how a setting supports a stone, how a ring sits on the hand and how each surface is finished—that gives the finished piece its character.
Clients are involved throughout the design stage and are encouraged to question, compare and refine. The design is not approved until it feels resolved.
Gemstones chosen for the design
Natural gemstones are often the starting point for Charlie’s work.
He has developed particular experience working with sapphires, natural diamonds and unusual coloured gemstones, selecting stones for far more than their grading report. Colour, cut, proportions, origin, treatment, rarity and personality all influence whether a gemstone is right for a particular design.
Rather than forcing a stone into a predetermined setting, Charlie designs around its individual shape and character. This allows the gemstone and the surrounding structure to work as one complete composition.
Stones are sourced through trusted suppliers, with treatment and certification information explained openly wherever available. Clients can compare appropriate options and understand where the value lies before making a decision.
Made with purpose
Jewellery By Design NZ began from Charlie’s longstanding fascination with jewellery, gemstones and making.
Growing up, he spent hours sketching designs, experimenting with materials and even panning for gold in local rivers. After returning from the United Kingdom and settling in Christchurch with his wife, Hannah, he committed to building that interest into a working jewellery practice.
What began at a much smaller scale has developed into an established business serving clients throughout New Zealand and overseas. The studio now encompasses private commissions, engagement and wedding jewellery, heirloom remodelling, restoration and a growing collection of one-of-a-kind pieces.
That original curiosity remains, but it is now supported by years of practical experience, continual technical development and a clear design philosophy.
Jewellery for the life around it
The best jewellery carries more than material value.
It may represent a commitment, preserve part of a family history, mark a turning point or eventually become something passed from one generation to the next. That responsibility informs how every Jewellery By Design NZ piece is designed and made.
Durability is considered alongside beauty. Recycled precious metals are used where appropriate, existing jewellery can be thoughtfully reworked, and gemstones are selected through established suppliers. Every decision is made with the finished piece—and the life it needs to withstand—in mind.
The result is jewellery created with purpose, made personally and intended to remain meaningful long after it leaves the workshop.
Begin a conversation
Whether you have a particular gemstone in mind, an inherited piece to transform or the beginnings of an idea, you are welcome to talk directly with Charlie about what could be created.