This beautiful gallery is a carefully crafted and curated collection of unusual and meaningful jewellery. Ideal for weddings, gifts, special occasions or those treasured everyday pieces, truly a hidden gem.

From whisky barrel wood wedding bands or witches knot necklaces to the iconic Luckenbooth heart and crown; Claddagh rings to Viking hammers, Royal Mile Silver’s rings, ear-rings, necklaces and brooches are not just beautifully crafted but carry symbolic meaning too.

Discover this jewellery treasure trove in the heart of Edinburgh where every piece tells a story – whether for a wedding, special gift or everyday wear | submitted

Owner and founder Chandra Mather, has been designing, making, sourcing and perfecting her jewellery collection since setting up her first market stall in the city back in the 1990s.

A self-confessed nomad, a love of travel and passion for other cultures, art and music led Chandra to meet artisans and silversmiths from all over the world. This inspired an interest in jewellery making and trading. Whenever she returned from her travels to her roots in Edinburgh, she would bring with her a treasure trove of personally sourced, beautifully crafted designs, and thus the market trading was born.

The collection has grown and diversified over the years and now includes not only silver and gold vermeil pieces but more unusual metalwork including tungsten and titanium, upcycled whisky barrel wood rings incorporating pieces of white oak whisky barrel wood, antlers and even guitar strings.

From occasional market stalls at fringe events on the Mound to a regular stall she held for years, Chandra took the plunge to open her own bricks and mortar shop, on Jeffrey Street – a winding lane which links Princes Street Gardens and Waverley Station and the Royal Mile – a year ago.

Her clients include locals from Scotland and the UK, as well as tourists from around the world. Tourists who are excited by the shop experience often come back as online shoppers through the elegant and comprehensive online shop and on Etsy.

Quality products and gifts under £100

From ear-rings to wedding rings most of Chandra’s pieces are under £100, with stud ear-rings starting at just £30 – and the collections are divided into different styles including:

· Celtic and Scottish

· Nature and Botanical

· Viking and Norse

· Gold Vermeil

· Tribal Silver

· Silver with Gold

Ensuring a perfect fit | Royal Mile Silver

At the shop itself you will always be warmly welcomed, will find lots of advice and can try things on, have your ring size measured and get items engraved. You can even have permanent bracelets and anklets welded to fit.

“The jewellery has heart and soul,” says Chandra. “In the shop the staff team really care and people have a lovely experience when they come here.”

And the shop itself has a story to tell: The shop’s wooden floor is the old gym floor upcycled from Trinity Academy and the striking teak pillars are from Rajasthan and were acquired from another Edinburgh institution – The Nomad’s Tent shop at St Leonards.

Authentic craftsmanship is blended with Scottish folklore mixed with Chandra’s artistic creativity to source jewellery of a quality and design that you won’t find elsewhere, whether treating yourself or looking for thoughtful gifts. In addition to an extensive range of Weddings Rings, there are extensive collections of Celtic, Scottish and Norse designs. And for the adventurers, there is also a cabinet of tribal jewellery – pieces sourced on her travels and commissioned from the Tuaregs and Berber in the Sahara and Sahel or from the Hill Tribes in the borderlands of Myanmar. Chandra has been trading directly with makers for 27 years, offering a fair price for their work.

Chandra meets the artisans in person | Royal Mile Silver

The staff at Royal Mile Silver are passionate about the collections and history of the symbols. The meanings and history behind the designs is always explained, which can help people find not only a piece of jewellery that matches their style, but one which speaks to who they are too. And if you’re looking for gifting ideas, including gift boxes and beautiful gift bags, you’re in the right place, the team enjoys helping find just the right pieces.

Those that love gold and rose gold – but not the price point – will love the Vermeil collections, where sterling silver is plated and coated with gold.

Wedding and Partnership Rings: Designed with meaning; crafted for longevity

Wedding bands with special meaning | submitted

Royal Mile Silver is very popular for wedding rings and engagement rings. If travel permits couples enjoy coming to the shop and having a ring fitting to mark this special part of their relationship.

For those further afield, the team handles orders from around the world daily and is particularly attentive to finding the perfect match for special occasions.

Chandra and her team are thoughtful about the importance of these occasions and purchases: “A ring carries a lot of meaning. Some of the rings we’ve sold that really stick in my mind are the wedding and engagement rings. We get people from all over the world and we are flattered that they come to us to find something that they will wear every day that’s going to be so special and symbolic. ”

Tungsten Carbide rings are incredibly strong and increasingly popular. Royal Mile Silver has been at the forefront of providing Tungsten rings for some years and the team has a great deal of expertise in this area.

Tunsgsten Carbide wide ring with Koa Wood and Deer Antler | submitted

Tungsten Carbide rings with comfort fit inner bands perfect for everyday wear are available in various widths. Ideal for wedding rings, engagement rings, couples’ rings, promise rings, as a special gift or treat for yourself, Tungsten Carbide is harder than steel or titanium and can only be marked by diamond hardness or above. This is why the shop has special equipment to be able to engrave their Tungsten rings.

Chandra says some people buy a silver or gold ring and a Tungsten version too – wearing the tough one for work days and keeping the other for going out.

The whisky barrel and guitar string rings are each one of a kind. Each ring features genuine, charred wood from Scottish whisky barrels, cut and shaped by hand, set into a Tungsten Carbide core and sealed with a hard-wearing resin. The natural variations in the wood mean no two rings are identical.