Kitchen tables have become a breeding ground for invention over the past 18 months as we’ve striven to find original ways to unite with one another and raise a smile. There were virtual dinner parties. There were family choirs going viral on YouTube. There were nonagenarian walkathons.

And then there was luxury jeweller to the stars Stephen Webster. Stephen used lockdown “kitchen table time” with his wife and daughters to design a new collection of bridal jewellery, create a No Regrets Chapel and be ordained as a minister.

“An artist friend of mine in LA got ordained once. So, I went online, paid $89.99 plus $39.99 for the dog collar and, with a few questions asked, became Insta-minister Steve,” he laughs. The plan was to go beyond offering clients exceptional rings and bands for their union and to even possibly provide a very special blessing, and a life-changing reason to smile.

Rebel with a cause

The idea is as wonderfully eclectic, unique and genuine as Stephen’s eponymous global jewellery company, which has earned a reputation over four decades for its inclusive spirit, rebellious style and celebration of diversity.

“We wanted to make this about enjoyment, and it feels like we’ve done that by creating the chapel and a minister – a package, if you like, that is not just another ready-to-wear bridal collection. And that’s 100 per cent the feedback we’ve had – it’s what people notice, what makes them smile and what gives us a point of difference.”

He says of his idea to be ordained: “This felt like a bit of fun and you know that absolutely no other jeweller is going to do it. And, of course, that has proved to be the case.”

Inspired unions

Stephen goes on to explain that the No Regrets Chapel is an extension of previous innovations. “I work best with a story or an environment,” he says. This was true of concepts such as the No Regrets Lounge – the company’s hugely popular spiritual pop-up home that began life above its flagship store on Rodeo Drive in the US. It’s now a celebrated place where friends and clients can experience the unexpected. “There’s no jewellery there, I just like sharing things I enjoy: art, photography, food, classical music... It took on a life of its own and it’s a brilliant way to connect with clients – it goes beyond what we make, yet it’s part of who we are.”

Throughout lockdown, the London-based jeweller started getting more enquiries for bridal. “We’d always done interesting bespoke bridal commissions, but not off-the-shelf pieces. After 45 years, I decided it was time and created the Shotgun collection – for bridal emergencies.”

Shotgun has all the glamour, originality and attitude of a Stephen Webster bespoke piece, but is a simpler, faster way to get style for any budget, whether for a traditional wedding or a more unconventional emotional commitment.

“Then I came up with the idea for the No Regrets Chapel; a non-secular place very much in the same spirit as the No Regrets Lounge,” Stephen says. “It can be a virtual space, a real space, a pop-up space... anything you want it to be.”

The Chapel launched after lockdown in a small way with just two events and was an instant hit with clients. This is essential for Stephen, who sees the jeweller-customer relationship as something of a lifetime union in itself. “I get invited to about 70 per cent of the weddings I design for.”

Over the years he’s notched up some heady commissions, with the likes of Madonna, Pink and Christina Aguilera flashing bespoke Stephen Webster pieces. He was recently asked by a couple if he’d fly to Venice to conduct their wedding service. Unfortunately, he couldn’t make the date, but he does have his first full service coming up in October.

A glass act

How thin Stephen can spread his offering as a minister remains to be seen, particularly as he’s simultaneously opening a bar in Nashville – “Everything’s for sale, from the doorknobs to the barstools” – to creating bars for people’s homes: “We’re learning to engrave and blow glass. It’s very exciting. The team have such enthusiasm for incorporating our design aesthetic into things that aren’t jewellery.”

He’s also busy winning awards for sustainability, something he is rightfully proud of and incredibly modest about. “It’s something we started a decade ago when we got our first Fairtrade Certified Gold licence. We want to be the most positive business we can be while still being a jeweller. I’m so proud of the team. We’ve made a lot of progress to be lower impact and there’s no part of our business that isn’t included. It’s a big commitment, but a good one.” It appears Insta-minister Steve does indeed have a higher calling.