Barney - Sarah's Boy, Remembered Forever
Some commissions touch my heart more deeply than others, and this one certainly did. This little West Highland Terrier was called Barney, and he was Sarah’s much-loved little friend.
A few months ago, Sarah got in touch to ask about having a necklace made that looked just like her beloved Westie. I gave her a no-obligation quote and a link to place her order, and she told me she’d get back to me soon. She mentioned that Barney had liver cancer and had been very ill.
I didn’t hear from her for a few weeks, and then one morning, her order suddenly appeared on my screen. There was no accompanying message — just the order. My heart sank a little, and I had a feeling that Barney might have passed away.
I began working on his necklace straight away. Over the next two weeks, as I cut the silver, engraved his beautiful fluffy coat, and soldered on his little nose, I found myself thinking about Barney constantly. It’s funny how, even though I never met him, he became part of my days for a while, a tiny white dog in my imagination, keeping me company at the workbench.
When the necklace was finished, I was so pleased with how it turned out. About 2cm high, made of solid sterling silver, with a delicate touch of rose gold to capture Barney’s soft pink ears. Small but full of personality, just as I imagined him to be.
“Have just received my beautiful Barney necklace and am over the moon with it. Our little man passed away on May 3rd so it’s amazing to have this to always keep him close. Thank you so very much. Sarah xxx”
I carefully packaged it up and sent it on its way, hoping it would bring some comfort to Sarah. The next morning, her email arrived:
“Have just received my beautiful Barney necklace and am over the moon with it. Our little man passed away on May 3rd so it’s amazing to have this to always keep him close. Thank you so very much. Sarah xxx”
I’ll admit, I sat quietly for a while after reading that. My heart broke for her. I know the pain of losing a much-loved pet, that sudden emptiness when they’re no longer there. Their lives are so heartbreakingly short compared to ours, and when they cross the Rainbow Bridge, it leaves such a space behind.
But I also felt deeply privileged. To know that something I’d created could help Sarah feel close to Barney again, even in a small way, meant the world to me. That’s what custom jewellery is all about, turning love and memory into something tangible, something to hold onto when words aren’t enough.
Rest in peace, dear Barney. You were clearly very loved.
If you’d like to learn more about how I create pieces like Sarah’s, you can read about my process here: Custom Pet Jewellery.
Who knows? Your beloved pet could be the next star of my workbench.
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