Do you have a place that holds a special meaning for you? It might be where you grew up, met your partner, shared your first kiss, or welcomed a child into the world. These are the places that shape our stories — and wouldn’t it be wonderful to carry a reminder of one with you every day, perhaps as a piece of jewellery? 

For years, personalised jewellery has featured latitude and longitude coordinates to mark meaningful locations. But now, a new approach is reimagining how we remember and share places: every 3-metre square on Earth has a unique three-word address. 

This system is especially valuable in locations where traditional addresses don’t exist — such as rural areas, parklands, or developing regions. Yet it’s just as useful in busy cities, too. 

Unlike long strings of numbers that are easy to forget, a three-word address is simple, memorable, and easy to share. It turns coordinates into words you’ll never forget — making your special place truly personal.

How What3Words Works 

What3Words has divided the world into 3m x 3m grid squares, assigning each one a unique three-word address. These addresses are intentionally random and unrelated to neighbouring squares, which reduces confusion. Similar-sounding addresses are placed far apart, and the system accounts for spelling or typing errors by suggesting nearby alternatives. 

The system was developed in 2013 by Chris Sheldrick, who came from the music industry. After repeatedly losing equipment and dealing with bands struggling to find venues, he realised there was a need for a more precise way to pinpoint locations. Since then, What3Words has been adopted worldwide by businesses, emergency services, and humanitarian organisations. 

Practical Uses: Everyday Life & Emergencies 

Ever lost friends at a festival, concert, or large event? What3Words works offline, making it perfect for locations with poor mobile signals. Instead of vague directions like “by the second tree to the left of the stage,” you can share an exact three-word address. 

Emergency services — including medics, security teams, and police — also rely on What3Words to locate people quickly when every second counts. Humanitarian organisations use it after earthquakes, floods, and tornadoes to deliver aid precisely and assess damage on a grid-by-grid basis.

Even in everyday life, three-word addresses remove guesswork:

• • Meeting friends in busy places with multiple entrances
  • Navigating parks, shopping centres, or concert venues
  • Finding new housing developments not yet on sat nav systems

Make Your Special Place Personal 

What3Words isn’t just practical — it’s personal. Those three words can be engraved onto a piece of jewellery, allowing you to carry a reminder of your special place wherever you go. 

For example: a bracelet engraved with the three words from where you proposed or a keychain from your childhood home can make a truly meaningful gift. Many items in our latitude and longitude collection can be customised to include a What3Words address. 

What three words represent your special place? Share your story in the comments below — we’d love to hear it. 

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