Shaun Leane (born 8 July 1969)[1] is a British jewellery designer best known for his sculptural pieces created for Alexander McQueen.

[citation needed] Leane attended St. Aidan's Primary School in Finsbury Park, and then St Thomas More RC for secondary.

At 15, a chance meeting with a career advisor preceded Leane enrolling in a youth training scheme for jewellery design at Kingsway Princeton College of Further Education in Clerkenwell.

Leane completed the metalwork course at Princeton college and his work was noticed by a course instructor who recommended students for scholarships within the industry.

[3] In the English Traditional Jewellery workshop, Leane was mentored by Brian Joslin and Richard Bullock and learnt the disciplines of the craft, transitioning from copper to gold in six months.

[8] Goldsmithing skills Leane learnt during his apprenticeship included making intricate, composite fastenings; complex setting techniques, such as invisible settings which hold square cut gems in place; and restoration of period pieces with acute attention to detail and focus on preserving their beauty from the back as well as front.

[8][10] At 18 years old, Leane was making diamond tiaras for London's prestigious houses, including Mappin & Webb, Garrard and Asprey.

[8] In 1992, a year after completing his apprenticeship, a friend introduced Leane to Alexander McQueen, who was then studying at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design.

[11][12][13] The next year, McQueen asked Leane to create Victorian-style silver fob watch chains for his show, Highland Rape.

[21] For the 2001 Autumn/Winter show What a Merry Go Round, Leane taught himself taxidermy to create earrings of pheasant claws clutching Tahitian pearls.

[31] His jewellery has been worn by Björk, Daphne Guinness, Sam Taylor-Johnson, Elton John, Emma Watson, Kate Moss, Sarah Jessica Parker and the Hassanal Bolkiah.

[3][19][24][32] On 28 May 2024, Shaun Leane, the renowned jewellery brand, entered administration, with Begbies Traynor appointed to oversee the process.

The 'Queen of The Night' necklace has delicate, blackened gold flowers set with white and brown diamonds and sapphires, which can open and close with hidden buttons.

[13] Leane worked with Austrian cut lead glass producer Atelier Swarovski to create the 2015 nine-piece jewellery collection Swift.

[41][42] Unveiled in July 2018, Arbour consists of 36 balcony railings and two gates cast in phosphor bronze by British metalwork foundry Chris Brammall.

[46][47] In 2019, Princess Beatrice and her fiancé Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi broke with royal tradition when they announced their engagement by naming Leane as the designer of the ring, a detail that Buckingham Palace does not usually reveal.

Hosted by comedian Katherine Ryan, the BBC Two primetime show follows the format of The Great British Bake Off "but with lots of glitter".

Leane was selected by the BBC for his knowledge of the Penicuik Jewels in episode three, Queens, Feuds and Faith, which documents how the religious revolution of the 16th century created radical and surprising works of art.