Calling all brides-to-be – you can now rent diamond jewellery for your wedding day with Dove House London.
Guests at this year’s BAFTAs were encouraged to re-wear or borrow their gowns: a nod to sustainability that echoes the popularity of ready-to-wear rental services. Most wedding guests wouldn’t think twice about borrowing a dress, and the advent of multi-day celebrations mean brides, too, are increasingly open to renting at least one of their looks. Yet the ‘something borrowed’ movement hasn’t yet reached the UK’s bridal jewellery market; something that Hannah Nathan is determined to change.
“When I got married in 2022, I rented some beautiful diamond earrings from a company in America in an easy, stress-free way, but I couldn’t find the same service in the UK,” she says. Having become “obsessed” with the world of diamonds when she got engaged in 2020, but feeling unable to find a relatable, accessible brand that reflected her as a modern bride, she was already considering a change of career. “My wedding rental experience was the final push to make my dream of a modern, female-founded bridal experience a reality,” she says.
So, she left her career in data policy to study for her GIA diamond diploma and honed her experience in the often-impenetrable diamond industry, and in 2024 her bespoke jewellery brand, Dove House, was born. She partnered with the esteemed diamond dealer Howard Taylor, whose five decades of experience ensure access to the highest-quality natural diamonds. In addition to its bespoke engagement and wedding bands, Dove House specialises in wedding jewellery. The Dove House Vault is a curated collection of elegant, timeless diamond jewellery that brides can borrow for their wedding weekend.
“As a bride, I put a great deal of care into every detail of my look, from my dress and my hair to my make-up and shoes: I wanted jewellery that felt similarly special and beautiful, but didn’t cost tens of thousands of pounds,” says Hannah. “At the same time, jewellery shouldn’t be an after-thought or something you compromise on. It’s the finishing touch that really elevates your entire look. Renting gives you the amazing, luxurious experience of wearing exquisite, high-end diamond jewellery, without paying the premium of owning it for the rest of your life. We’re making it more accessible so that more brides can have that special experience.”
Starting from £285 for a four-day rental, jewellery from The Vault retails at between £3,000 and £12,000. Everything is fully insured and professional cleaning is taken care of, removing the logistics from a bride’s to-do list. “The stress of wearing something expensive is taken away – you don’t have to worry about it, because it’s insured, so it gives brides peace of mind,” says Hannah. “The only requirement is to treat it as you would treat your own jewellery.”
The ever-growing collection includes beautiful stud earrings, with classic diamond tennis necklaces and bracelets alongside more statement-making diamond drop and cluster earrings, all handcrafted by Dove House’s expert craftspeople in the heart of Hatton Garden. “When I launched the brand, it was important for me that everything was handcrafted in London, so that I could have full visibility and input over the final result,” says Hannah.
Dove House’s bespoke engagement and wedding rings are crafted with top-quality diamonds and gemstones sourced by Hannah and Howard. With a fresh, contemporary eye for design, Hannah works closely alongside clients to bring their dreams to life. As a special thank you to its bespoke clients, Dove House encourages its brides to borrow a piece from The Vault for their wedding day for free – although The Vault is open to all brides.
Enticed by the opportunity to play dress-up in diamonds, champagne in hand, bride-to-be Emily Pearl visited Dove House’s Hatton Garden studio to experience The Vault for herself. She brought her mum along to share in the excitement. “It was such a brilliant experience, having free rein on all this beautiful diamond jewellery – I want to do it every day!” says Emily, for whom the idea of borrowing wedding jewellery is a no-brainer. “Borrowing real diamonds seemed like something I’d only ever seen celebrities do. The idea of it felt a bit out of reach, but actually the process was super easy and accessible, and it makes total sense – why has nobody thought of this before?”
Deciding was the only tricky part, says Emily – luckily, Hannah was on hand to offer styling advice, based on Emily’s dress and her overall wedding aesthetic. Emily was drawn to the classic diamond tennis bracelets and necklaces, and was torn between a pair of elegantly minimal diamond studs and the more dramatic multi-shape diamond drop earrings. “I want something really elegant and timeless, but I also wanted a little bit of drama and to be able to show my personality through my jewellery,” she says. “Once I tried on the drop earrings it felt impossible not to go for something that stunning.”
Renting also gives brides the opportunity to switch up their jewellery to complement an outfit change, as Emily plans to do during her wedding at Wilderness Reserve in August. “I showed Hannah my dresses and she recommended going for something very classy and elegant for the ceremony, and then something a bit more statement and fun for the after-party, so I’ll definitely be taking her advice,” says Emily.
And, while she’ll (reluctantly) need to return the jewels, Emily is left with an everlasting memory of an incredibly special day. “It’s a very different feeling, wearing a natural diamond compared to costume jewellery, and something I think many brides might not have experienced before,” she says. “I would never go into a Bond Street jeweller just to try on jewellery this valuable, but Dove House felt so welcoming and cosy: it was a really special experience and I’m so glad my mum got to be a part of it with me.”
Renting jewellery from The Dove House Vault starts from £285; visit dovehouselondon.com for more information.
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