Emmet Smith: Master Engraver and Guardian of a Timeless Craft
Emmet Smith
Emmet Smith is the founder and creative director of Rebus, the acclaimed London Hatton Garden workshop and store celebrated for exceptional seal engraved signet rings, personalised jewellery and fine hand engraving. With more than four decades in the craft, Emmet’s work has been commissioned by Royal families, Presidents and Prime Ministers, as well as prestigious sporting institutions and jewellery houses.
A Life in Hand Engraving
Emmet discovered his passion for hand engraving in the mid-1980s at London’s Sir John Cass School of Art before completing a five-year apprenticeship at R.H. Wilkins, qualifying as a Freeman of the Goldsmiths’ Company. In 1992, his final year, he won the prestigious Goldsmiths’ Company Gold Award. After four years living and travelling in San Francisco and Sydney, he returned to in R.H. Wilkins in 1997 and acquired the company in 2000.
“What drew me to hand engraving was the sense of peace it gave me, the opportunity to create, slow down, and disappear into a miniature world of my own making.”
Emmet Smith, Founder of Rebus.
The Founding of Rebus
In 2005, Emmet founded Rebus, bringing the tradition of hand-engraved signet rings directly to clients. Today, the Hatton Garden store creates bespoke jewellery and signet rings, combining traditional craftsmanship with contemporary design.
Engraving on the World Stage
Emmet’s expertise extends far beyond jewellery. Alongside the Rebus team, he has engraved some of the world’s most iconic sporting trophies, including the Davis Cup, Masters Trophy at Augusta National, FA Cup and Six Nations trophy.
At Wimbledon, the team has historically engraved more than 80 pieces over Finals weekend, often working live near Centre Court.
His work has also included the Ryder Cup, Royal Ascot, Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and the America’s Cup, for which he recreated intricate engraving after the historic trophy was severely damaged.
Preserving a Craft for Future Generations
Preserving the craft for future generations is equally important to Emmet. Through Rebus’s apprenticeship programme, young engravers spend four to five years learning drawing, heraldic design, hand engraving and traditional deep-seal engraving. Many have gone on to win industry awards and build successful careers of their own.
Over the years, Emmet and his team have received 23 Goldsmiths’ Craft Council awards, including the Theo Fennell Master & Apprentice Award.
“I have had the pleasure of knowing Emmet for around 30 years. Since taking over R.H. Wilkins Engravers, where he was originally apprenticed, he has built Rebus into an internationally renowned signet ring and engraving firm. His knowledge of the craft is unsurpassed, but perhaps his greatest achievement has been recruiting and training apprentices. Many have gone on to become outstanding engravers and award-winning craftsmen in their own right.”
Mr. Chris Rowley. Founder and Chairman of the Hand Engravers Association of Great Britain.
www.handengravers.org.uk
A Legacy of Craftsmanship
At the heart of Emmet’s work is his passion for the timeless art of hand engraving — creating jewellery and significant pieces designed to be cherished and passed down through generations.
“I had an emotional connection with each piece I worked on. I was giving it something, an energy that fed back to me. I felt a huge amount of satisfaction while bringing what I believed, something to life.”
From Royal commissions and world-famous sporting trophies to deeply personal family signet rings, Emmet Smith’s career reflects an unwavering commitment to craftsmanship, precision and the enduring beauty of work made by hand.