A Dorchester jewellers has proved it's best in the South West for a second time.

Goldcrest Jewellers has been named Corporate LiveWire's South West England 2020/21 jewellers of the year.

This follows the shop being hailed the best family run jewellery business in the South West in the Southern Enterprise Awards 2020.

Neil Strudwick of Goldcrest Jewellers said: "This one came out of the blue.

"The best family run jewellers in the South West was nominated by a customer of ours - we had no idea about that one, so it was a complete shock.

"When we phoned them, they explained the process of how it happened - you don't expect it."

As well as celebrating two awards, the team also had their first proposal in the jewellery shop, something they were a part of from the very beginning.

Mal asked his girlfriend Susana to marry him on Christmas Eve.

Neil added: "That was an amazing event.

"During the second lockdown in November, we had a customer emailing us different designs of rings. Because we make our own bespoke jewellery, we can get designs in or tweak things to get the customer the exact ring they want.

"They sent us this design and normally I would do it in component form [the various parts that make up the ring] and then put the ring together. But this ring had no components, it had never been made before."

Neil sent the design to a firm in Birmingham which then sent it back in 3D and the customer loved it.

He said: "The way the ring was made, it was going to be delayed right before Christmas because with lockdown, they couldn't get people in the workshop, they had limited staff due to limited space and we were told the ring wouldn't be ready until after Christmas.

"Then, on December 23, the parcel came through from Birmingham, it was all there for me and all I had to do was set the diamonds into it.

"It took a bit of extra work to get it all done and I phoned him on Christmas Eve. He was in shock because he didn't expect it."

He said to his girlfriend that he needed to go to the jewellers to get a watch battery.

Neil added: "They came in, we gave him his ring out of view of her and he just dropped to his knee and said, 'will you marry me?'

"It was the ring she had always wanted; she designed this ring. When she saw it, it was emotional.

"We have had people propose and come in but we've never had somebody actually propose in the shop - it was great.

"Because of what happened all last year with the lockdowns, virus and all the bad news, it just made the end of the year and Christmas feel special. Somebody had a bit of good news and it was fantastic."

It is no surprise Goldcrest Jewellers has received two awards in just four months, with Neil's passion so evident and going above and beyond for customers.

Neil said: "I love making pieces, I love making people's ideas.

"If someone comes into the shop, the more they talk to me, the more I've got a feel for the jewellery they want. It doesn't matter what they talk about, I get a feeling for what that person is about, what they like, colours, designs and I can come up with a design doing that."

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