Austin’s Bell and Bird Gives New Life to Antique Gems
Owners Rhianna and Cyrus Shennum, who specialize in eighteenth- and nineteenth-century jewelry, honor tradition with their custom pieces.
Bell and Bird's custom hobnail eternity band features eighteen-karat old gold and step-cut diamonds with single-cut diamond accents.Photograph by Jeff Wilson
Bell and Bird's custom hobnail eternity band features eighteen-karat old gold and step-cut diamonds with single-cut diamond accents.Photograph by Jeff Wilson
Tucked inside a 1920s bungalow in Central Austin, the Bell and Bird showroom looks more like a posh cottage in the English countryside than a store. On display is a treasure trove of centuries-old jewelry, which owners Rhianna and Cyrus Shennum hunt for all over the world. The boutique, which moved to this space last year, also offers custom creations. Near the back, a glass door gives visitors a peek into the studio, where Cyrus, usually perched at a workbench, and a small team of jewelers forge a mix of metals and incorporate antique gems to create one-of-a-kind pieces, such as the Hobnail diamond eternity band. Says Rhianna, “Everything they do in the workshop is a slow and painstaking process.”
This article originally appeared in the February 2020 issue of Texas Monthly with the headline “Local Custom.” Subscribe today.
Cyrus and Rhianna Shennum at Bell and Bird, in Austin, on December 10, 2019. They named their shop in honor of Gertrude Bell and Isabella Bird, two Victorian-era explorers.
Photograph by Jeff Wilson
An antique 1.72-carat lozenge-shaped diamond finds a new home in a handmade setting in Bell and BIrd's custom color of 18-karat old gold, set with two round single-cut side diamonds on a double rounded shank.
Photograph by Jeff Wilson
Cyrus Shennum works on a custom ring in the workshop at the back of the Bell and Bird showroom. His workshop team includes three employees: a stone setter and hand engraver; a goldsmith and enamelist; and a maker for their cases and custom packaging.
Photograph by Jeff Wilson
Shennum solders a custom gold setting for a diamond engagement ring. The shop gets many requests for engagement rings, anniversary rings, and resetting family stones. "We have more work than we can handle," Rhianna says. "It is a lovely problem to have."
Photograph by Jeff Wilson
Bell and Bird also designs handmade snake bracelets, which are fitted to the owner's wrist and can be customized with enamel details, engraved scales, and antique gemstones for the eyes.
Photograph by Jeff Wilson
Sketches of various designs.
Photograph by Jeff Wilson
The showroom features eighteenth- and nineteenth-century jewelry from around the world as well as select antiques and artwork curated by the Shennums.
Photograph by Jeff Wilson
Some pieces, including this art deco ruby and diamond bracelet, are packaged in a custom box. This one is made with lamb leather, silk velvet, and brass fixtures. Says Rhianna: "We source the leather and velvet from France and design all of our own hardware. It is a ridiculous and wonderful thing that we do, but it makes all of us so happy to present our finest pieces in packaging that honors the jewel inside."
Photograph by Jeff Wilson
The workshop at Bell and Bird. The vast majority of their custom work is designed and made here. "We like to say we all work at human pace in our shop," says Rhianna.
