OAT Jewellery was established in 2023 by founders Mike and Edel as part of their mission to bring life back to the rural village they operate out of: Mullan Village. With a strong passion for craftsmanship, they specialise in handmade pieces and small-batch production. Their bespoke range is made up of 14ct gold-fill pieces.

OAT’s latest innovative ‘Ring for Hope’ campaign consists of rings with hidden messages of encouragement inside the band. Examples of messages include ‘Proud of You’, ‘Survivor’, ‘I Love You’, and ‘Be Kind to You’ and 100 percent of the proceeds go to SOSAD and The Samaritans to aid their fantastic work to raise awareness of and support individuals with mental health difficulties seeking help.

Rebecca Buckley, Marketing Executive at OAT Jewellery, explains what inspired the campaign: “Surprisingly, the campaign came about quite naturally. My colleague Erin suggested we release a product for Mental Health Week with profits going to charity. I thought it was a fantastic idea and spoke to our jeweller Hannah.”

 She continues: “Hannah came up with the idea of doing secret message rings. It was an idea she had for a while and this was the perfect way to use it. We shared the idea with the rest of the team and they all felt very connected with the cause and concept. My manager David suggested the rings could be stamped with phone numbers so friends gifting the rings to each other could show they are always there to talk and support. So, Ring for Hope was born!”

 Rebecca shares that the entire team felt it was an impactful concept and a unique way to drive home the message that no matter who you are, or what you’re going through, there is always someone you can ring for hope. The next step was to choose the charities the proceeds would go to and Rebecca says that this was a relatively easy decision as there are so many fantastic charities doing great work in this area.

She explains: “We knew we wanted to raise funds for our local charity, SOSAD but we also felt a need to team up with a national charity and Samaritans seemed like the obvious option. Both charities offer free mental health services and operate a 24-hour free helpline for those in immediate crisis and also those who are feeling generally low. We are honoured to be able to support such pivotal organisations.”

The response to the campaign so far has been incredibly positive. People from all over the country have been sharing the campaign across their social media accounts, commenting on OAT Jewellery’s posts, and overall showing immense support. Rebecca shares: “We had a few mental health and wellness advocates promote the campaign, making videos that don’t just showcase the jewellery but discuss critical mental health topics.”

 She adds: “We have received feedback from one customer who purchased a matching set of rings for her and her daughter. She said her daughter turned to her in the morning before heading to school and said ‘We’ll be connected through our rings’. It means a lot that we’ve been able to provide something that not only raises funds for an important cause but also acts as a sentiment that can be cherished and create connections between people for years and years to come.”

 It was essential for OAT Jewellery to select a product that was not just for women but for men too. They recognise that anyone can be affected by mentally ill health and have made strides to get the campaign in front of men. Padraig O’Hara, who does a lot of work for mental health, was one of the influencers promoting our campaign. Rebecca adds that the rings also have many metaphors that can be drawn from that came to be seen unintentionally.

She explains: “For example, the band being a hammered finish was a design decision, however, it can also represent how even if we have been through a hard time, we come out the other side even more beautiful than before.”

 While the brand cannot share how much they have made thus far, the campaign is not stopping anytime soon. They will be making their first donation at the 3-month mark in August and will be announcing this on their social media channels. While advocating for mental health and well-being is important to the business, sustainability is another vital factor.

Rebecca says: “We incorporate sustainable practices in all areas we can and we are always looking for ways to improve the sustainability of our brand. We use sustainable FSC-certified packaging and we also use small batch production. We specialise in demi-fine jewellery, it is crucial to us that we make jewellery that will last for years and years to come and to create pieces that transcend trend culture and can be worn and enjoyed by our customers time and time again.”

 While OAT Jewellery always has something in the pipeline in terms of exciting future products, the brand is really focused right now on pushing the Ring for Hope campaign as far as they can. Rebecca explains: “We want to shed light on the two charities we are involved with as much as we can. SOSAD and The Samaritans are two life-changing and life-saving organisations and everyone should be aware of their services. If anyone reading this is struggling or knows someone who is struggling with their mental health, remember there is ALWAYS someone you can ring for hope.”