During my childhood in the 1980s, I performed various errands for my parents’ jewellery shop, Elvira’s, located on Talbot Street in Dublin. As a teenager, I transitioned to working behind the counter, selling jewellery to local customers. At that time, security measures were implemented by a large German Shepherd named Bryo, but this did not prevent a nighttime robbery that ultimately led to the shop’s closure.
Having remained in the industry as an adult with other retail shops and wholesalers, I was pleasantly surprised to observe that the same jewellery items I had sold two decades earlier were experiencing a resurgence in popularity. I believe that virtually every conceivable design, with the exception of a few, has been transformed into a jewellery piece, and these designs tend to cycle in and out of fashion over time. In 2014, I felt compelled to establish a brand that would capture and reflect these emerging trends.
Quality and affordability were paramount considerations when selecting the materials for our designs. Consequently, we opted for an 18k 3 micron gold plating (French Plaqúe Or standard) in a soft champagne gold color to enhance our creations.
Finally, I felt compelled to name our brand. When my parents’ shop closed, there were several watch repairs that remained uncollected for several years. One particular watch caught my attention, with a name I loved, an old square-faced Buren watch from Switzerland. To avoid any potential confusion with the original brand an additional ‘r’ was added, and so Burren Jewellery was born.
Coincidentally, our brand name shares the same name as the renowned Burren landscape in County Clare, which we draw inspiration from when creating new designs.
All our 18k gold plated jewellery has a 3 year guarantee against plating defects. Our gold plated jewellery is made of a brass base – lead, nickel and cadmium free - and is hypoallergenic. The plating with gold is 3 microns thick minimum, and 5 microns for rings with stones. In order to optimize the colour of gold over time, our plating is made of 18 karat gold with a finishing coat of 23 karat gold which prevents plating from oxidation. More than 80% of the silver and 20% of the gold used in our production come from recycling in order to limit the impact of our productions on the natural exploitation of minerals, our objective is to reduce each year our impact on natural resources.
All of our jewelry is compliant with the European REACH regulations. Our French manufacturing partner regularly conduct tests with official organizations, and is a members of the «RJC» (Responsible Jewelery Council): a recognized commitment in terms of respect for working conditions and sustainable development.
