About Hart & Halo
July 19, 2021 2026-10-15 11:17About Hart & Halo
Our story
Hart & Halo began with a ring that was beautiful – but wasn’t quite the ring I had imagined.
For almost 20 years, I worked in HR. I enjoyed the people, the problem-solving and the work itself, but over time I became frustrated with the constant shifts of corporate life. Strategies changed, priorities moved, and I often felt as though I was being pulled from pillar to post.
I wanted to build something of my own: something with a clear direction, shaped by values I genuinely believed in and an experience I could feel proud to give people.
I just didn’t know yet that it would involve Sapphires.
In 2021, my husband and I celebrated our tenth wedding anniversary.
Around that time, I walked into a local jewellery store while looking at a 60th birthday present for my mum. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a morganite ring. Its soft, peachy colour immediately caught my attention.
With our anniversary approaching, I gave myself permission to explore the idea of a special ring for me – something meaningful that represented our family and the life we had created together.
I went home and did what I tend to do: I researched everything.
Morganite was beautiful, but I learned that it wasn’t quite right for the forever ring I had in mind. I wanted a stone that could handle everyday wear and still look beautiful many years from now. Colour was important, but so was durability.
That search led me to peach Sapphire – and then into the extraordinary world of Sapphires.
Until then, I had thought Sapphire meant blue. Suddenly, I discovered pinks, peaches, greens, teals, yellows, purples and incredible parti-coloured stones containing more than one colour. No two were ever quite the same.
Sapphire offered the colour I loved and the durability I needed.
I became completely obsessed.
The almost-right ring
Believing I might only commission a ring like this once, I approached an established Auckland jeweller to create it.
I poured an enormous amount of thought into the design. I collected inspiration, made drawings and considered what each stone and detail could represent. I had a clear idea of the colours, the feeling and the story I wanted the finished ring to hold.
But the process didn’t unfold as I had imagined.
The selection of Sapphires felt limited, the stones needed for my design were difficult to source, and the proposed designs were shaped more by what was readily available than by what I had originally envisioned. The budget also moved considerably beyond where we had started.
Eventually, I accepted a version of the ring that could be made rather than continuing to search for the ring I had imagined.
I do love my ring. It contains a beautiful collection of Sapphires, and it represents an important chapter in my life. But it isn’t quite the ring I had pictured.
More importantly, the experience showed me just how much the bespoke journey matters.
A piece can be technically beautiful, but for it to feel truly personal, the person commissioning it needs to feel heard. They need to understand their options, feel comfortable asking questions and know what things will cost. They should never feel pressured to settle simply because something else is easier to source or make.
My husband watched me go through the process and said:
“You could do this better. Why don’t we start a jewellery business?”
So we did.
A different kind of bespoke jewellery experience
Hart & Halo was created to offer the experience I had been searching for: personal, approachable, honest and genuinely collaborative.
We listen before we design.
We search widely for the right gemstones rather than expecting you to choose from a narrow selection. We explain your options clearly, provide transparent pricing and give you the freedom to explore your ideas without pressure or judgement.
You don’t need to arrive with a perfect drawing or an understanding of jewellery terminology. You can bring us a folder full of inspiration, a favourite colour, a half-formed idea, a meaningful story – or simply a feeling you want your piece to capture.
We will help you turn it into something tangible, beautifully considered and unmistakably yours.
Jewellery for your reasons
We may have started with Sapphires and a wedding anniversary, but bespoke jewellery isn’t only for engagements and weddings.
It can celebrate a significant birthday, a new baby, an anniversary, a personal achievement or the beginning of an entirely new chapter. It can remember someone you love, transform an inherited piece, or capture a story that matters only to you.
And sometimes, you might simply want something beautiful because you love it. That is reason enough.
Life is short. You are allowed to celebrate yourself, choose the colours you adore and create a piece of jewellery exactly as you want it. You don’t have to know anything about jewellery, and you don’t need a traditional occasion.
You only need a reason that matters to you.
