EVERY piece of jewellery has a story to tell, according to the owners of a brand new store in Shaftesbury.

Golden Snowdrop opened its doors to the public yesterday, offering an abundance of products made by jewellers based in and around the area.

Husband and wife Chris and Stephanie Dowthwaite took over what was Nutmeg Homestyles in High Street, and in the lead up to opening Stephanie said it is “hectic and exciting to be at this stage”.

Stephanie, who is trained in valuing and will also be stocking her jewellery in-store, said: “To have a shop has always been a big dream of mine.

“The whole idea is that behind each piece of jewellery there is a story and character, hand made, bespoke or vintage.

"We want to offer our customers that sentimental value to remember their visit to Shaftesbury, and locals can form new experiences and collections.

“We really wanted to offer a variety of styles and price points.”

As well as selling jewellery, Golden Snowdrop will also offer a valuation and repair service.

The new shop has strong links to Shaftesbury through its name, paying homage to the town’s connection with snowdrops and Gold Hill.

As previously reported, the former homeware and gifts store had closed as a result of the coronavirus impact and issues with rent.

When asked why she chose to open the shop during the Covid-19 pandemic, Stephanie said: “It was the right time for us. The plan had always been to do it this year and with Covid-19 we thought it might not be possible, but we thought about it and decided we could.

“The right shop came up which was ideal, we just had to grab the opportunity as it was there.

“[Before the official opening] we could kind of hear people talking about it as they walked past which was lovely.

“I’m a Dorset girl and I’ve always loved the town, there are a lot of independent shops here and it is just a lovely place to set up.”