BOSSES at a respected jewellers have announced they’re shutting up shop in Rayleigh High Street ahead of opening a new bespoke showroom.

Affinity Jewellers, run by married couple Lauren and Andy Fossett, has proved a hit in the High Street over the last five years.

However, it will close for good on December 23 as Lauren and Andy open a new specialist showroom off Poynters Lane, in Great Wakering.

They have pointed the finger at falling business and hope the move will allow them to focus on specialist consultations in a quieter and more relaxed environment.

Lauren, said: “We are very much about bridal and bespoke jewellery and over the last few years we decided we are more bespoke focused, a lot of stuff is made to order.

“We have a popular service for online wedding rings for customers, that keeps us busy and that has led us to move in this direction to offer a personal and relaxed service.

“We want to sit down for a drink in a quiet space with people when we serve them with their rings.”

The business sells custom rings and jewellery as well as high-end commercial rings from major sellers.

Lauren added: “We have been here for around five years and you get familiar with faces, we offer a repair service and we are trusted to do that by people, it is a lot of familiar faces.

“I have thought about the way the High Street has gone and that is a factor in our decision, it is just not as busy as it was but we offer something so different to other people.

“We do all kinds of price ranges but people are so conscious of their spending for gifts that our footfall for general jewellery has fallen.

“We want to move more in this direction and we were at the point of wondering if we keep the store and open a showroom or just do one or the other.”

At the moment it is unclear if there are any plans in place to replace the store once it closes down.