It's always a hard one to address and I don't exactly know why...

I'll be honest with you, business is tough at the moment. Amazingly though, not on the customer end. Which gets me emotional thinking about how unreal our customers are. Fiercely loyal, evangelistic and have continued to support us in full force over the past few years. However, our groins have been getting trampled by rising costs across the board.

We've been 'mopping up isles' for 12 months now. Each week, something else spills over the top and we try to absorb the costs in any which way we can.

However, we've come to a breaking point - one that many businesses across the world have hit much earlier than us in the past two years. So for that, I am super grateful.

The accumulation of a multitude of increased costs in the past 12 months has led us to this inevitable conclusion.

Since the start of the pandemic;
- Silver is up 81% and gold is up 68%.
- Shipping is an absolute bastard of a thing. Up 90%.
- Production costs are now also up 60%.

It's a blood bath.

Now, I'm not going to give you the bog-standard, "we considered throwing the towel in on the whole operation..." smack - that you hear so often from brands. Na, that's not in mine or my team's nature.

But we are going to humbly ask that you trust us again, that a price increase is an essential move for us and we've been doing our absolute best to roll with the punches over the last 12 months.

If the prices are now too high for you - stay in the wings, stay where I can see you and it's on us to prove to you that we are worth it. I know that we'll be able to deliver more than double the value than any other jeweller. I truly believe that and this price increase just lights a fire under us to make that known even more so.

It's easy to get romantic about your own label. So whether I am writing this to be read by you or just for some self motivation: I know that we do under value our product in order to be more accessible. I am extremely confident that you can put our quality up against any of the high end jewellers and we edge them in quality every time. Design aesthetic is subjective of course, I can't argue there. However, I have come to terms with the fact that in order to continue to produce our pieces with such a staunch focus on production quality and broader brand components that build in the intrinsic value that we hedge ourselves too - we do need to nudge the prices up slightly. Otherwise, Howlet will exist but it'll just look embarrassingly different.

Specifically, here are some price change details;

- Smaller core range, will remain at 290-330 (5% increase)
- Larger signets, $340-360 (this will be the main rise, approx 8%)
- Two tone pieces & gemstone designs; $380-420 (8% increase)
- Pendants, average price up to $210-220 (10% increase)
- Gold wedding signets, average 5% increase.

The Pro's; BIG ANNOUNCEMENT

If you've been with Howlet for some time now, you'll know that our rolled ankled has always come at the production stage. Specifically the long lead times. This is where we crumple.

As of July/August, we have final managed to partner with another team of jewellers to handle the volume. They will be working alongside our current team in studio and we'll be building inventory, meaning that we will now hold stock and your order will be shipped within 24 hours of purchase.

Ohhh good god, why didn't this happen sooner. I hear you. Believe me.

So hopefully this sweetener makes the price increase news slightly easier to swallow. In the coming months, we should be completely stocked for most designs, in most sizes. For those that do order unique designs or unique sizes - they will still be made to order and our team will be much more on top of the production and will be able to ship within 7 days.

I can't tell you how amped I am about this.

Since I've got you here, deep into a bombardment of an email, I thought I'd spill a bit more hype for you... These are some designs that we have in the hot lil' mix:

- The Irwin; crocodile signet design
- Tiger Yin & Yang Signet
- Chameleon Signet
- Seahorse Signet...
- Then of course the Pinky Piece release on June 15th

^ These are all arriving within 6 weeks. Stay close.

Price increase to come into affect this weekend June 3rd.

Due to the short notice, we're again opening up the opportunity for the next two weeks for anyone to purchase at the original price. If you had an order in the decision pipeline or you were saving up to make a purchase, don't worry, we'll honour that original price.

I want to wrap with this with opening up a line to let me hear your thoughts. Directly email me at: ryan.ps@crookedhowletdesigns.com

Feed me some abuse.
Give us some advice.

Let me hear what you want us to improve on or what you want to see more of.

I'm here for a yarn. Always.

- Ryan

Owner & Founder.

Some of your may have noticed over the past few months, the gradual meander towards the cleaner naming of 'CHD'... Let me explain. 

I always consider 'Crooked' and 'Designs' to be padding. Filling out a name and symbol that needed some juice. 'Howlet' for me, was the focal point...

However, I did like the tempo of the three piece feed, 'Crooked Howlet Designs' - however, verbal tribulations rebranded CHD right from the start... For some bizarre reason, most people would roll their ankle on the opening word 'Crooked'. Also, the adoption of the initials "CHD" wasn't overly buoyant. So it became a botched pronunciation 'crooked'.

Listening people fumble around with "Crocked" or "Crook't Rings', I realised that firstly we probably haven't done a good enough job to guide the chitchat around the phrase. But mainly, we should stop putting a linguistic hand-break into the brand name and just cut it down to the solid, reliable, 'Howlet'. 

However, as every new important movement does - this really opened up an opportunity to further build the community around the legacy name of Crooked Howlet Designs - for those that know, know. 

For those of you who don't know the origin story - and when I say 'those who don't know', I mean, likely everyone - I'll spin a super quick yarn on this... 

My dad and I were parked up in a watering hole called The Crooked Billet in the UK, when the brand name for a yet to be created jewellery company arose. It was a pub in Clapton.
As we were wanting to tie in a stronger image than a limbing squatter, we subbed in the Shakespearean word for owl, which is 'howlet'. As in MacBeth;

"A lizards leg and howlets wing..." 

That birthed the name of CHD. Then 35mins later, someone already pronounced it wrong. Now here we are.  

Take something with a familiar flavour, infused with nostalgia... and you've got a conceptual hit. 

This is what begun a long winded brewing of the playing cards campaign. Our rendition on the vintage deck of cards, in collaboration with no other than resident artist, Nick Potts. 

Again, you need to understand that this isn't a Vince McMahon flare up. It's hard to thesaurus so many descriptive approaches to expressing my love for a collection - so, I'll keep it to the raw basics of the Queens English. It's fucking sick. 

I knew the concept had legs, due to what I explained in the opening line. However, how Nick Potts, was able to so perfectly absorb what we were conceptualising and the for it to translate into these cards, is outer insanity. 

Not only would the concept of the 12 Piece Monthly Exclusive Collaboration be unreal with a standard deck of cards, we've just so happened to create probably one of the best decks of playing cards that I've ever seen. 

- They have beautifully aged colour co-ordination. 

- They retain their familiarity to the traditional face cards.

- A perfect bow to the Howlet brand codes that allow us that sculptural flare to build into a powerful signet ring. 

THE COLLECTION

A new face card (King, Queen or Jack), every month, from each suit. Spades, Hearts, Clubs and Diamonds. 12 pieces total. As always, sold that month only, then never again...  

There are a few key components to the execution of the designs in the collection, that sealed the deal on this year's Monthly Exclusives being something special.

1. Size Optimised 

A very bold and detailed design, however the piece itself is a tight accessible size. Not too obtrusive or over powering. 

Yet, for those bigger finger sizes, the piece is scaled up to suit. 

2. Side Detail

That familiar detail from the back of playing cards, we've build into the side of the rings. 

3. The Collective / Tribal Aspect

Let me fumble around and try to unravel this point slowly...

When allocating the cards for each month, I found myself tentatively rooting for a 'good one' on my birth month, August. 

However, to be honest, it didn't need to be 'good one'... I was going to adopt that design as my own, regardless of my aesthetic attraction - because, its the hand I was dealt. 

(If you've seen a more pure and perfect use of a pun, I'd like to know it). 

So with a sequential element to this collection, it breeds a tribal feeling of attraction to your monthly design. Whether the certain face card and suit, which has a specific relevance to you, or it is a birth month... it's a design worth backing, for intrinsic purpose. 

And finally, the significance of the sequence of cards - creates a motivation for mulitple pieces in the collection. 'Four Kings', a straight or a flush... Good god, think of the possibilities. 

So get tribal, know your month or line up the 'hand you were dealt'... And we'll see you soon. 

JANUARY - We kick things off with the King of Spades ♠️

FEBRUARY - Queen of Spades ♠️ (as well as additional featured design)

MARCH - Jack of Spades ♠️

APRIL - King of Hearts ♥️

MAY - Queen of Hearts ♥️ (as well as additional featured design)

JUNE - Jack of Hearts ♥️

JULY - King of Clubs ♣️

AUGUST - Queen of Clubs ♣️ (as well as additional featured design)

SEPTEMBER - Jack of Clubs ♣️

OCTOBER - King of Diamonds ♦️

NOVEMBER - Queen of Diamonds ♦️ (as well as additional featured design)

DECEMBER - Jack of Diamonds ♦️

Do you know what I've just realised, this collection is ripe with puns... Puns that actually just work. Because, we've got a few 'wild cards' in amongst the 2023 collection. You'll see this in Feb, May, August and November...

- CHD Team.

I'm going to be less discrete on the launch strategy for this two piece suite and let you know 'WHY NOW'. Hopefully with this clarity, you'll hear our desperation, and pitch in to ease the 90hr weeks that our production staff need to get through leading into Christmas. 

We are releasing this for November, to 'ENTICE' early Christmas shopping.

It'll be released for an 'undisclosed' timeframe... Maybe it hangs about for only a few weeks, maybe it becomes a brand staple and lives on - but is that a gamble you're willing to take? 

Getting our customers onto an early Christmas order, has been an ongoing battle - one that I am guilty of not preparing for either myself. I will also be harranging brands 4 days out from Christmas asking for delivery before the 25th. 

So I figured, instead of appealing to your sensibilities - something that I am equally immune to around this time of year - I thought, lets roll out a design that has been in the works for some time now and tickle your Chrissy flare to jump on this early November, instead of the last minute gift cert shuffle. 

So, with that being said, of course the design needs to convert... Gooiz, it does. 

Introducing, first glimpses of, The Messenger. 

Residue left over from the Your Pa's launch, has been festering away and is now it's time to rear its mug. 

The concept was from the same birth, with an added element of reality. 

The reality being, that the genuine heirloom pieces that were handed down through the generations were often unwearable sizes and out of reasonable fear of damaging the piece, they never resized the ring to fit, and hung from chain around the neck.

Something else that further fed the concept-mule...

A customer a few years back had mentioned breaking their finger in a dust up, which had healed like a permanent rolled ankle and therefore he had since relocated the piece to been hung around his gullet (worn on a chain around his neck). 

This began a very long winded brewing period. 

Not because the concept was wildly complex but just because I hadn't really had a strong feeling that this thing would pop and I didn't really know how to position it. 

Not that this has any relevance to you, and I'm sure it won't substantially add to the tale, but the final nudge came a few weeks ago when a good mate validated this idea, by requesting if we'd ever thought of, 'making smaller versions of the ring to be worn as a pendant', as he wasn't much of a ring wearer... That was all I needed to hear.

So, if you needed it, a reason to redirect those finger belts up to the pendant level, then we've framed it up nicely for you... The head has, and always will be, the Eleventh Finger.