Over the centuries hearts have become the universal symbol of love and romance.

The image of the heart is universal, so when Diane Skeer was looking for a starting point for her new jewellery company, it seemed an automatic choice.

She set up Internet-based The Heart Shaped Box at the end of last year to pursue her dream of running her own business.

Research told her that there was little competition for purely heart-shaped jewellery and through her contacts at her childrens' schools, she knew several jewellery designers who were more than happy to come up with bespoke designs.

They include Claire Fyfe-Jackson, who is at Stonesfield, Lisa Schnellmann from Sutton Courtenay and Lisa Ward from Witney.

Mrs Skeer said: "I think the heart shape appeals to everyone. So many women wear heart-shaped pendants and it seemed a good idea to specialise in this area."

The emphasis is on quality and Mrs Skeer is finding many of her orders are for more expensive items which allows her designers to use top quality materials such as pearls, silver and even yak bone which is sourced from Nepal by Cotswolds designer Alain Rouveure.ok Having never run a business or traded on the Internet before, Mrs Skeer, 43, found it a steep learning curve, but with the help of Faringdon-based web designer Neil Edwards and photographer Tony Fisher she now has a fully functional retail site which is generating a steady stream of orders.

All of which is helping recoup her outlay of about £4,500 and is far cheaper than running a high street shop.

She is also using a Google Adwords campaign which is helping her site get noticed and she is backing it up with advewrtising in national magazines such as Marie Claire and In Style.

The real rush is expected around Christmas, while Valentine's Day will also see orders hit a peak.

And Mrs Skeer is also targeting the armed forces. With her husband, Commander Martin Skeer of the Royal Navy, currently serving in Chad, she realised that thousands of personnel were away from home and may want to send gifts back to loved ones.

Mrs Skeer is no stranger to fashion, having been a top model in the 1980s when she was signed up by top agency Models1 which also had Yasmin Le Bon on its books.

That led to cover shoots for magazines and then a string of television adverts for companies such as Ford, Adidas and Nestle.

"When I joined at the age of 19, I has an English country rose look which suited the period perfectly."

After more than six years she left the modelling industry, married and had children Sebastian, now 18, Ettie, 16 and 14-year-old Charlie.

She also studied for an English degree at Reading University before becoming an attendance officer at the Cherwell School in Oxford.

"I had it in my head that I may become a teacher but then I decided to set up my own business and I love it.

"When an order comes in it is fantastic and I gift wrap it beautifully. It is a lovely job to have."