This historic London jewellers harmonises easygoing service with extremely rare diamonds
With four royal warrants scattered throughout its past, Hancocks is coloured with history and clout. At its new home, a contemporary approach helps soften a traditional industry
Words: Josh Lee
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Along with buying your first property or putting money into your own business venture, purchasing the right jewellery, be it engagement ring or cufflinks, can be a fairly daunting task. All things considered, and if the fates are kind, it’ll be a one-time buy for you and can be passed down the generations, the way in which a great pair of Goodyear-welted shoes last for decades and often become a family heirloom. So that puts some pretty big weight on whatever piece you have in mind.
With such importance placed on it, there are some points to think hard about, style, provenance and price among them. And when it comes to such specific purchases or decisions, it really pays off to go to the time-old experts in the field, the ones who won’t just give you the right know-how about the area in question – that’s just a given – but will also make you feel at ease while doing so. Hancocks, the storied London jewellers that’s been operating for 175 years, is one such name we find rather reliable in this department, as it mixes heritage, artistry and a modern touch into a coherent whole. With the festive season ahead – and, therefore, engagements and present-buying set to roll out in tandem with it all – we explain why this might be the firm to lead you down the right path…
In the history books
Since its founding in 1849, Hancocks has been a flagbearer of the jewellery scene, counting Napoleon III and other European heads among its patrons.
It originally opened on the corner of Bruton Street and Bond Street, and rapidly gained a name as a superlative gemstone, jewellery and silverware merchant, so much so that, in less than a year of operating, it received a royal warrant from Queen Victoria – and, a few years later, Hancocks was asked to produce the Victoria Cross medal, the highest military decoration awarded for valour, with the company still carrying out the duty today. The Queen and many of Europe’s principle sovereigns became regulars thereafter, and Hancocks’s popularity blossomed, shaping a reputation as a leading curator of rare and fine gemstones and jewellery and eventually gaining three more royal warrants across the years.
All that glitters
Today, Hancocks remains revered for its collection of antique and vintage jewellery, as well as its hard-to-rival edit of antique gemstones (diamonds, rubies and sapphire among them), with all carrying the beautiful, unique marks of the master craftsperson who hand-cut them. The selection process is still carried out by the Burton family, who acquired Hancocks in 1992. And when it comes to diamonds, styles vary from old-mine cuts, known for their rounded cushion profiles, to old European cuts, Asscher cuts and beyond.
Old-cut Asscher diamond solitaire ring. To see more of Hancocks’s engagement rings, visit hancockslondon.com
Old-cut diamond and geometric-diamond halo ring
Three-stone old-European-cut diamond ring
The focus on old cuts, says Guy Burton, the managing director of Hancocks, is because they represent the peak of rarity and artistry, possessing a sort of unique romanticism that contemporary mass-produced stones – many of which are cut by computer technology and lasers – can’t attain. (Old stones are also inherently eco-friendly as they’re recycled.)
It should be noted that the emphasis isn’t solely on acquiring gemstones, but it’s also on the production of one-of-a-kind creations. Using old-cut gems as a base, with a particular focus on diamonds, Hancocks fashions pieces that reflect the style of the era in which the cut was carried out, with the company’s master craftspeople drawing upon decades of know-how and using many of the same manufacturing methods that have been relied on since 1849.
Superlative die-stamped and hand-engraved signet rings also form a major part of the offerings, options of which come in either metal or colourful hard-stone.
Home improvements
The exterior of Hancocks’s new home, on St James’s Street
It’s commonly held that visiting a jewellers can be an intimidating thing, with lots of archaic and arcane terminology and a general air of highfalutin pomp. Hancocks, especially with its recent relocation, helps dispel that notion, adding an easygoing touch to the whole experience.
Sackville Gallery floor
In 2024, the business uprooted from Burlington Arcade to a new home, on St James’s Street, a move that was propelled by a want to return to its roots. “Throughout our history, Hancocks has served as a distinguished jeweller and manufacturer,” says Burton. “In 1849, we were originally the House of Hancocks, known for manufacturing jewellery, important silverware and the like for clients including royalty, heads of state, and the great and the good. In 1916, we went on to become more of a shop, and, post-war, continued selling vintage jewellery and signed jewellery, while also still making our own designs. As we now move forward, it feels both authentic and deeply meaningful that we go back to being what we were originally known as: one of the world’s foremost independent jewellery houses.”
The renovated Georgian townhouse, which features original detailing such as the fireplaces, is four times larger than the previous destination, with these bigger dimensions allowing for a more holistic experience, displaying not only the full collection for the first time in decades, but also the rich history that goes with it all, with the company diary, ledger books and crests of the royal families Hancocks has worked with all on show.
One of Hancocks’s old ledgers
Of the five floors, three, which are named after Hancocks’s former locations, are dedicated exclusively to jewellery, with each level distinct. In the Sackville Gallery, there is a taster selection of jewellery, including signet rings and historic tiaras; the Bruton Gallery exhibits vintage, antique and signed pieces from the world’s greatest jewellery houses; and the Burlington Gallery features old-cut diamonds, which many regard as the most important in existence.
Conventional counters, rather importantly, do not feature – instead, clients are given the freedom to look at the displays at their own pace, and the window frontage allows in bursts of natural light to create a gallery-like feel.
Burlington Gallery floor
“For those who want to browse and take in the pieces without being accompanied, or until they wish, they can do this due to the clever design we have used. This is very unusual in the jewellery world and allows clients to feel relaxed when visiting us – this is very important to us,” says Burton. (There are also private areas in which clients can view and try on jewellery.)
Rules of engagement
For those looking to pop the big question, Hancocks has a singular selection of engagement rings – there’s an extraordinary 4.87ct old European brilliant-cut diamond with a yellow-gold solitaire ring; and a striking platinum ring with 1.05ct ‘Pigeon’s Blood’ ruby and French-cut diamond. Or, for a bespoke touch, there’s the option to design a one-of-a-kind piece, created around either a specific gemstone or a cluster of them.
‘Our carefully curated collection of vintage and antique gems is one of the finest that exists’, says Hancocks, ‘and each stone is meticulously studied to ensure it meets our criteria and standard of exceptional beauty.’
By pairing together coveted, rare jewels, a loving spirit to the process, and an approach that dresses down an often high-walled industry, Hancocks might be the name to help you acquire your next investment piece.
Thinking of popping the question during the festive season? Here are our thoughts on that…
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