Our Story

In 1962, a 17-year-old with an engineering apprenticeship under his belt left England for Australia. That young man was Stuart Moore. He was hungry—literally—and took the first job offered: jewelry salesman. Fate has a funny way of setting the stage.

As a passionate admirer of Bauhaus furniture, Stuart began wondering: why didn’t engagement and wedding rings have the same modern, architectural forms in miniature? That observation stuck, simmering until it became the guiding inspiration of his life’s work.

By the early 1970s, now living in Vancouver, Canada, Stuart’s engineering training as “a man who worked with metals” fused with his minimalist aesthetic. The result? Truly modern designs.

For his debut collection at the Royal Centre in 1973, Stuart widened the traditional engagement band, forged it into the natural elliptic shape of the finger (rather than the standard round), and introduced a sleek inverted-U setting for the stone. The result was Aronade, followed quickly by Abamurus and a series of stylistically related wedding rings. Vancouver loved it.

Within two years he opened a second store in the Pacific Centre. But while Vancouver was kind, Stuart saw greater opportunities in the U.S. In 1977, he sold his shares and opened in Fashion Island, Newport Beach. It was an overnight success.

Still, by 1983 and nearing forty, Stuart felt the pull of his homeland and moved to London, briefly attempting to reinvent himself as a sculptor (that’s another story).

Of course, America wasn’t done with him yet. In 1987, Stuart returned, this time to New York City—specifically SoHo, then the epicenter of contemporary art and design. Here he unveiled his first true Gallery of Designer Jewelry, exhibiting his own work alongside some 25 other modern jewelers. Minimalist, architectural, and sculptural, Stuart’s gallery became the jewelry counterpart to its art-world neighbors.

Ten years later, in 1997, Stuart opened in San Francisco. By serendipity, these three locations—SoHo, Newport Beach, and San Francisco—became iconic hubs of contemporary jewelry for decades.

And then came the design leap that sealed his reputation: in the 1970s Stuart discovered that by using harder metals, he could eliminate traditional prongs altogether, suspending the diamond between the ring’s shoulders. It was radical simplicity. In 2012, Platinum Guild International in London awarded this design—aptly named Suspension—Best Design of the Decade, praising it as “Timeless! The Eames Chair of Rings.”


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From Brick & Mortar to a Digital Atelier

For more than 40 years, Stuart’s galleries were sanctuaries for design lovers. Eventually, though, the chapter of physical stores closed, giving way to something new. What could have felt like an ending quickly became an evolution: a move online that has allowed the brand to thrive in an even more agile, global way.

The move to online atelier brought new freedom—streamlining the business and giving Stuart space to focus on what he loves most: designing, plus allowing the brand to thrive in an even more agile, global way. Today he sketches from his studios in France and England, collaborating with clients worldwide, and offering in-person appointments in the States.

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The New Chapter

Today, Stuart remains the ever-kooky creative force, surrounded by a small but mighty team:

Juergen Schöner, who turns Stuart’s “crappy sketches” (his words) into cinematic CAD renderings.

Stephan, master goldsmith in Newport Beach, now in his 40th year with the company.

Darlene, steadfastly in her 48th year handling accounting.

Rhys, the “newcomer” tech wizard, on board since 2004.

Adrienne, his equally eccentric daughter, who brings heart, humor, and vision to the media and marketing mix.

Together, they’ve expanded the range to include not only signature designs but also sur mesure creations—one-of-a-kind pieces that blend Stuart’s Bauhaus-inspired minimalism with clients’ personal stories.

From Vancouver to Newport Beach, from SoHo to San Francisco, and now to Europe, the through-line has always been the same: modern design, crafted with integrity and timeless vision.

Thanks to the loyalty of thousands of clients over the decades, the Stuart Moore legacy is thrilled to be engaged in its next elegant evolution, an atelier without borders.