Heartwood
Every bead in the Heartwood collection is individually hand turned from UK grown timber, finished with three coats of museum grade microcrystalline wax, and inspected by hand before leaving the workshop. No dye, no stain. The colour and grain are written there by nature.
Every bead in the Heartwood collection is hand turned from timber sourced in the UK. The mixed timber bracelet uses four British hardwoods: laburnum, spalted beech, walnut and yew. The whisky barrel oak bracelet uses staves reclaimed from a distillery in the Loch Lomond area of Scotland. Every bead is individually turned on a lathe, sanded through multiple grits, sealed and finished with three coats of museum grade microcrystalline wax. No dye, no stain.
Yes, and we are quite particular about it. Every timber in the Heartwood collection comes from UK grown trees. We do not import cheaper wood from Asia to cut costs, and we never will. The Heartwood collection exists specifically because British hardwoods are extraordinary materials that deserve to be shown off, not substituted.
No. The timber used in the Heartwood collection comes from trees that have already come down, through natural causes, woodland management, or reclamation. The whisky barrel oak staves were already retired from their previous life holding Scotch whisky. Laburnum and spalted beech are often sourced from fallen or managed woodland. Nothing is felled on our behalf.
Spalted beech is timber taken from a beech tree that has begun to break down naturally in the forest. The dark lines and pale figuring you can see in the wood are caused by fungal activity during that process. It sounds alarming but the result is one of the most visually striking timbers in British woodlands, which is exactly why it is highly sought after and why supply is unpredictable. If you see it in the collection, do not wait around.
Laburnum is one of the rarer British hardwoods. The trees grow slowly and do not get particularly large, which means usable timber is limited. The rich golden colour and strong natural contrast in the grain are entirely natural and cannot be replicated with dye or stain. You are either wearing laburnum or you are not.
Each bead is hand turned to approximately 10mm. Because they are made individually on a lathe rather than stamped from a mould, there is a little natural variation across a bracelet. This is not a flaw. It is how you know they are handmade.
Close, but not identical, and that is the point. The grain pattern in every bead is unique to that piece of timber. No two bracelets will ever be exactly alike. If you ever see wooden bead bracelets that look perfectly uniform, they were almost certainly machine made from imported wood. Ours are neither.
Yes. Every Rolf Skeldon bracelet arrives in a recycled card and cotton storage box, which doubles as the ideal storage solution between wears.
Yes. If the cord ever loosens or breaks, send it back and we'll restring it and return it to you. No time limit, no quibble. Full details on our Bracelet Promise page.
