Visiting Edinburgh: Discovering Local Gems With Jeweler Laura Bond
Laura Bond at her jewelry boutique and luxury piercing studio in Edinburgh, Scotland
Luxury piercing, which incorporates high-end materials such as 14K gold and diamonds, is one of the fastest-growing jewelry trends. It offers wearers an opportunity for self-expression, which has fueled its popularity among celebrities and social media influencers.
Laura Bond's eponymous jewelry boutique and luxury piercing parlor is located on Thistle Street in Edinburgh, Scotland.
This 200-year-old street is in the heart of Edinburgh's New Town, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Edinburgh's New Town area, noted for its neoclassical architecture, exemplifies its marked shift towards symmetrical urban planning with uniform building facades. Thistle Street, developed from 1790 to 1800, initially housed craftspeople and their workshops.
Now it has evolved into a trendy hub, drawing artists and creatives such as Laura Bond, establishing itself as a destination for shoppers and tourists.
Laura Bond studs and hoops
Laura Bond was always captivated by jewelry. 'As a little girl, I loved rifling through my mom's jewelry box and trying on her stunning pieces,' she says in an email interview.
'I still vividly recall begging to get my ears pierced on my eleventh birthday and obsessing over my first pair of dangling silver elephant earrings,' she says. She got her first cartilage piercing as a teenager.
In her thirties, she and her husband turned her passion into a niche luxury piercing brand. The brand emphasizes distinctive designs, superior craftsmanship, and high-quality materials at affordable prices. In the past year, the shop has performed nearly 2000 piercings, and there is no sign of the demand slowing down.
'We have had people travel to Edinburgh just to be pierced at Laura Bond,' she says. Some people get a piercing to mark a significant milestone or as a permanent reminder of their trip. 'For others, it's just about doing something fun and rebellious,' she adds.
The most popular piercings are the conch, daith and stacked lobes, she says. The conch refers to the inner shell of the ear and is bold. Daith piercings are nestled above the ear canal, allowing for large, fanned-out hoops. 'Stacked lobes, with multiple piercings at different heights, are often the start of a curation journey.'
Edinburgh's neo-Georgian New Town, Scotland
Because Edinburgh is relatively compact and walkable (although hilly), visitors can cover a lot of ground in just a couple of days. Laura Bond is enthusiastic about the city's beauty and vitality.
She shared a local artisan's perspective of some of her favorite hotspots beyond the whisky bars and other tourist attractions:
This vegan fashion retailer is in the Stockbridge area. Its owner, Cat, handpicks sustainable brands with the planet in mind.
This Edinburgh-based international luxury leather goods brand exudes quiet luxury. A-listers, including The Princess of Wales, Lady Gaga and Heidi Klum, wear them.
This fashion boutique is dedicated to denim, offering jeans in different cuts, washes and weights to suit every season.
Toni and her team in this cool basement perfumery will help you personalize a new fragrance crafted from the finest raw ingredients.
This Michelin Bib Gourmand eatery in New Town offers homemade pastas, cured meats, and soft-serve ice cream in a relaxed setting.
Start with a spicy margarita cocktail and enjoy an inventive take on traditional Mexican cuisine.
Ingredients from local farmers, growers and fishermen are celebrated in each dish at the cozy neighborhood spot.
'There are few rules when it comes to ear curation, which is what makes it such a personal and fun way to express your style,' says Bond.
Customers often start with one piece of dainty, feminine, solid gold piercing jewelry or work with a member of Laura's team to create a memorable ear stack.
Before they leave the emporium, they are likely to get a few more insider tips from Laura Bond and her team on visiting the arty side of Edinburgh.
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