In this episode of the BAJ Podcast, BAJ meets the founder and CEO of Taylor and Hart, Nikolay Piriankov, to talk about starting, running and navigating a global bespoke jewellery business.

Nikolay was born in Bulgaria and grew up in South Africa. He attended the University of Manchester, and shortly after graduation, began his search for a custom-designed engagement ring for his sweetheart, Vaivara; a ring that would capture their story. In search of something more unique than a standard, off-the-shelf ring, Nikolay created a custom design for a ring with a friend working in the diamond industry, based on personal elements from Nikolay and Vaivara’s relationship. Finding a niche in the market for bespoke engagement rings, at an affordable price point, Nikolay launched the business providing this service in 2013, initially named Rare Pink.

The hybrid business model aimed to offer the best of what online companies offered: better prices, privacy and convenience, while still allowing customers to talk to someone, see products in person and receive a custom design. Rare Pink rebranded in 2016 to Taylor & Hart to unite the best of both worlds: transparency, the ability to design your own ring, and a personal touch.

Since then, Nikolay has grown the business, secured fundraising and worked across all departments of the business. As CEO Nikolay has raised investment of £2M for the company this year. Some of the recent investors in the company are the London-based brand builder Garage Soho, led by the advertising guru Sir John Hegarty.