For a parent or guardian it can be a little difficult to decide on a special Birthday gift for an 18th or 21st. It's nice to give something that the child will treasure now, but also for many years to come. My client has started their own family tradition of giving a unique piece of jewellery to each child as they turn 18 to represent their favourite hobby or memory.

The mother herself had a necklace handmade for her many years ago in the shape of an old style diving helmet to show her passion for the activity. She loves it and wears it everyday, so when her first daughter turned 18 she wanted to give her something just as individual. She commissioned a cute little book necklace from me in yellow gold to express her love of reading. She wanted it to be flat and not bulky, but to look 3D, so I experimented with engraving techniques to give a trompe l'oeil effect.

The second daughter has just turned 18. She prefers the look of white metal, so I designed a piece in 9ct white gold. Her passion is indoor climbing and she provided a piece of rope, with a knot that would be used while climbing, for me to recreate. It was a little tricky to settle on the right way to create this and I experimented with several silver models before moving onto the final piece.

The next child turns 18 in 3 years time, so it will be interesting to see what they want to incorporate. It's such a lovely tradition, binding each of the family members together, but also expressing their individuality. Certainly a unique gift that will be treasured for a long time and create many talking points.