Haworth manufacturer crafts replica Brontë hair bracelet for film premiere

A fourth-generation West Yorkshire manufacturer has demonstrated how heritage craftsmanship can intersect with global film promotion, after recreating one of the Brontë family’s most intimate artefacts for the red carpet premiere of Wuthering Heights.

Wyedean Weaving, a Haworth-based specialist in braiding and ceremonial manufacturing, was commissioned to produce a replica of the 175-year-old mourning bracelet once owned and worn by Charlotte Brontë. The original piece, housed at the Brontë Parsonage Museum, is crafted from hand-woven hair believed to belong to her sisters Emily and Anne, and features garnets set in gold – a style typical of 19th-century mourning jewellery.

The replica was created for actor Margot Robbie, who plays Cathy Earnshaw in the upcoming film adaptation, set for cinema release this Friday (13 February). It was commissioned by Robbie’s stylist Andrew Mukamal for wearing on the red carpet at last Thursday’s London’s premiere, creating a media and a social media storm.

Wyedean’s Managing Director Robin Wright, who liaised directly with Mukamal and the Brontë Parsonage throughout the process said: “We could never have imagined the impact the bracelet, woven here in Haworth and with silver work created by our jewellery partners McCarty London, would make when Margot Robbie stepped out wearing it.

“We’ve been seen and name checked in glossy national and international titles such as British Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar and Grazia with the bracelet hitting the front pages of just about every national newspaper on Friday and over the weekend.

“It’s been incredible for our team to see the impact of their work as we pulled out all the stops and used all the resources available to us to create the bracelet in just four weeks.”

Wyedean, known for its military contracts and specialism in manufacturing ceremonial accoutrements, spent 100 hours in bracelet production, undertaking 12 colour trials, making six visits to the Parsonage and utilising 250,000 metres of thread. The finished bracelet combines three different shades and 280 braided threads to match the colour and texture of human hair before being fitted into the clasp pieces created, carved and set by McCarty London.

Robin continued: “The aim was to create a museum-quality replica which honoured the original’s materials, construction and appearance, while ensuring the historic artefact itself remained protected. From specialist scanning of the original to creating CAD files for mould creation, right through to the rare diagonal plaiting we created using our 100-year-old flat braiding machine, we created an exact replica of a bracelet, made and worn 175 years ago.”

Rebecca Yorke, Director of the Brontë Parsonage Museum, said the Parsonage immediately recommended Wyedean for its experience, tools and technical expertise. She added: “When Andrew asked for suggestions of who might be able to recreate a faithful and high-quality replica of Charlotte’s garnet bracelet, I immediately recommended the Wyedean team. It was particularly fitting that they’re based in a building that would have been known to the Brontës. We are now working with Robin and his team to create a limited edition of the piece to sell via our museum shop.”

Robin added: “This has been an extraordinary collaboration between heritage manufacturers, jewellers and museum specialists and has resulted in a faithful replica worthy of the Brontë legacy. We are thrilled to be part of celebrating British craftsmanship, ingenuity and historical respect across the generations. This goes down in our history of one of our greatest manufacturing achievements.”