A JEWELLERS has thrown open the doors to a brand new showroom in the heart of York.

Nightingale, which describes itself as the city's first ethical jewellers, launched this week at 11 Colliergate following a £20,000 refurbishment.

The brand was first founded in 2016 by husband and wife Stephen and Diane Nightingale who shared decades of work together in the jewellery industry.

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With Nightingale, they wanted to make the jewellery industry fairer and more ethical, offering bespoke rings created consciously through various sustainable practices.

The duo originally set up shop in March 2016 in York’s Barleycorn Yard with the help of Ryan Atkins, from The Embarking Group, as the first ethical jewellery brand on York’s high street.

Ryan now heads up the business as chief executive officer.

Nightingale pioneers lab-grown diamonds, ethically-mined diamonds and fairtrade gold by only working with ethical and respected suppliers.

With its pink exterior, the new shop front in Colliergate's cobbled high street is hard to miss.

General manager, Claire Beatson, said: “We’re so thrilled to be up and running again, especially just in time for the lead-up to Christmas which is undoubtedly our busiest period.

"We’ve been inundated with bespoke design requests which is really where we excel in creating something extra special.

"At Nightingale we believe that a ring should be as unique as the person wearing it, which is why we pride ourselves on creating bespoke rings for our customers.

"We understand that a ring isn’t just an accessory, it’s part of a moment often encapsulating a journey. This is why we give the process the time, attention and iterations it deserves.”

Framed photographs of happy couples adorn a wall in the showroom, highlighting the team’s passion for contributing to a special moment.

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The brand provides a ten-year guarantee, complimentary re-sizing and ring cleaning and complimentary insured delivery with each ring purchased.

As well as a range of ethical ‘ready-made’ rings, Nightingale's most popular offering is a bespoke jewellery design service for people looking to create something special and unique.

Starting with a face-to-face appointment to establish what the customer wants, ring sketches and 3D CAD design are created before Nightingale’s master craftspeople craft the ring.

Ryan said: “When you buy from us, you join us in our mission to support better working conditions, better environmental practices and more transparent supply chains.

"While we’re not claiming to be putting an end to the harm caused by the diamond mining industry, we do want to educate and encourage buyers on how they can make a more ethically-informed purchase when it comes to fine jewellery.”