Five years later, here's what I know now
The lessons, little moments and vintage treasures that shaped the first five years of Sorrell Jewels.
From graduating university to packing your orders and seeing Sorrell Jewels stocked in Tate Britain.
Five years ago I listed my very first vintage ring on Depop with absolutely no idea where it would lead.
Since then, over 9,000 vintage treasures have found new homes, more than 2,000 orders have left my little office, and Sorrell Jewels has somehow reached 23 countries around the world.
But when I sat down to celebrate five years, I realised the numbers aren't actually what I'm most proud of. They're reminders of everything these five years have taught me.
One memory I keep coming back to is sitting in my bedroom in Devon during Covid, about a year into running Sorrell Jewels while I was shielding and wondering what my future might look like. I'd spend hours scrolling through auction listings, photographing jewellery, packing the odd order and imagining what it would be like if one day this little hobby became my full-time job. Looking back now, I wish I could tell that version of myself to stop worrying so much.
Left: Anna's ever-growing Sorrell Jewels collection. Middle: The Selfridges Pop Up with the lovely Goose Glitters. Right: Kat Kenyon wearing the iconic Cherub Ring.
I built this business one vintage treasure at a time
When I think back over the last five years, I don't think about website launches, order numbers or social media posts. I think about the people. The friendships I've made, the conversations I've had at markets, and finding people who love vintage treasures just as much as I do.
One of my favourite rings I've ever found was a simple 9ct gold cherub ring. I sold it to the lovely Kat Kenyon at a Salad Days Market, and to this day it still makes me smile every time I see her wearing it, whether that's in real life or online. It's such a small moment, but it reminds me these treasures become part of people's lives long after they've left my hands.
Then there are customers like Anna. She originally ordered from me because she happened to be friends with my ex-boyfriend's mum, and somehow that first order turned into another, and another. Five years later I think she must have bought at least 40 rings from me. Watching someone build an entire vintage jewellery collection over the years is something I'll never take for granted.
One of the strangest full circle moments happened last year when I was at a comedy gig in Hackney. I sat down, someone tapped me on the shoulder, and it turned out she was a customer wearing rings she'd bought from Sorrell Jewels. It was the first time that had ever happened to me, and seeing someone wearing jewellery I'd sourced completely by chance felt surreal.
Looking back now, I realise this business wasn't built overnight. It was built one treasure, one customer, one market and one conversation at a time.
Some of my favourite examples of vintage treasures finding their next chapter.
I still get excited every time I find a beautiful vintage ring
About two years into running Sorrell Jewels I had a strange fear that I'd somehow run out of vintage jewellery to find. I also worried that turning my biggest hobby into my job would eventually make me fall out of love with it.
Thankfully, I couldn't have been more wrong.
Every time I walk into an antiques market or open an auction parcel, I still get that same little buzz of excitement. I never know what I'm about to find, and I think that's what makes vintage jewellery so addictive. Every sourcing trip still feels like a treasure hunt.
Finding jewellery is such a personal experience because Sorrell Jewels is built entirely around my own taste. Every piece I buy is something I genuinely love, and some of my favourite finds have been the ones I almost talked myself out of buying.
People always ask me how I stop myself from keeping all the jewellery, and honestly, it's a genuine struggle. There have been plenty of pieces I've had to give myself a stern talking to about before listing them on the website. These days I've made myself a little rule. About every six months, if I find a piece that absolutely screams my name and I still can't stop thinking about it weeks later, I'm allowed to keep it. Everything else has to find its next home.
Some of the people, jewellery and memories I'll always associate with the first five years of Sorrell Jewels.
Every vintage piece deserves a second life
Sometimes I think of myself less as the owner of these pieces and more as their temporary caretaker until they find their next person.
I believe every piece of vintage jewellery deserves to be loved and worn again. There's something incredibly satisfying about finding a forgotten treasure, cleaning it up, restoring it and helping it begin a whole new chapter.
What I love most is that every piece already has a story before it reaches me. I often wonder who wore it before, where it's travelled and what moments it's been part of. Then, when someone buys it, another story begins.
Over the years I've also learnt that the right piece really does find the right person. Some treasures sell within minutes, while others quietly wait on the website for months before finding exactly who they were meant for. Somehow it always seems to work out, and I still find that quite magical.
The customers, conversations and chance encounters that made Sorrell Jewels feel like more than just a business.
You can build something beautiful at your own pace
Perhaps the biggest lesson I've learnt over the last five years has nothing to do with jewellery. It's learning that building something slowly doesn't make it any less worthwhile.
As someone who's both chronically ill and incredibly Type A, pacing is something I've always struggled with. Even now I still overdo it sometimes, but I've learnt to forgive myself and, more importantly, I've learnt that rest isn't the opposite of progress.
Running Sorrell Jewels has introduced me to so many incredible small business owners. I've realised we're all comparing ourselves to one another, when in reality we're all just doing our best. Over the years I've become much more patient with myself. More patient with sourcing, with growing, with social media and with my health. Building something sustainable has become far more important to me than building something quickly.
Of course, not every memory has been quite so glamorous. I've had market days where I've sold absolutely nothing, I almost lost a £5,000 wholesale order when DPD decided to send my parcel on an adventure, and earlier this year I stubbornly tried to do a market during the worst chronic pain flare I've ever had. Looking back, I don't think I'd call any of those moments "character building." They were just really hard. But they've all reminded me that running a small business isn't about having a perfect track record. It's about getting up the next day and carrying on anyway.
I was recently sourcing at an antiques market when two people walked past and said, "Hi Sorrell Jewels!" It completely caught me off guard. I've never been someone who goes massively viral every week, and some of my posts still completely flop, but I've just kept showing up. Looking back, I think the business has grown because I've grown alongside it.
Left: One of my very first markets. Middle: Vintage treasures that still make my heart skip a beat. Right: Friends I only have because of Sorrell Jewels.
Every number represents a real person
The numbers help me see how far Sorrell Jewels has come, but they don't tell the whole story. When I think about 9,000 treasures, I think about birthday presents, engagement rings, anniversary gifts, little treats after a difficult week, and pieces that remind someone of a loved one.
The messages I receive from customers are the reason I love what I do. Whether it's someone telling me a ring reminds them of a family member, celebrating a milestone, or simply saying they haven't taken a piece off since it arrived, those moments mean so much more than any statistic ever could.
Every order represents a real person who chose to support my little business, and that will never stop amazing me.
Left: My very first market. Middle: My first pop up outside of London. Right: A little bit of Sorrell Jewels magic.
What has stayed exactly the same over the last five years is the feeling I get when I spot a beautiful vintage ring sitting in an antique cabinet. That tiny rush of excitement has never gone away.
If 2021 Emily could see where Sorrell Jewels is today, I don't think she'd believe it. Not because of the numbers or the milestones, but because this little idea she dreamt up while sitting in her bedroom became a real community of people who love vintage jewellery just as much as she does. She'd be amazed that she's packed thousands of orders, travelled the country hunting for treasures, worked with galleries and museums, and somehow built a career from something she loved.
To those of you who've been here since the Depop days, thank you. To those who found Sorrell Jewels last week, thank you too. Whether you've bought a piece, visited me at a market, shared a post, sent me a message or simply followed along, you've helped make these first five years more special than I ever could have imagined.
As for the next five years, I don't have a huge master plan. I just hope I get to keep doing what I love, wandering around antique markets, rescuing beautiful old treasures and helping them find their next home.
Because after all this time, I still fall in love with every piece before it leaves.