Since 1849 Hancocks has been dealing in the finest jewellery, diamonds and coloured gemstones. Within its initial year, Queen Victoria granted the company its first Royal Warrant and the brand soon counted many of Europe’s principal sovereigns as patrons.
Fast forward 170 years, Hancocks remains a family-owned business, run from its prestigious home in Burlington Arcade. It continues to honour its founder’s values of quality, craftsmanship and customer service. The company’s carefully curated collection of antique and vintage jewels is particularly sought out for its old-cut gems, especially diamonds, based on the belief that the older style of cutting produces a stone aesthetically superior to its mass-produced contemporary counterparts.
All Hancocks-designed jewellery is handmade by craftsmen in London using time honoured skills. The company values the time and experience it takes to make a fi ne quality piece of jewellery, and supporting the jewellery trade and British craftsmanship is core to its ethos.
Despite the pandemic, in 2021 Hancocks continued to invest in and grow its business, prioritising not only its people and products but also its social and environmental responsibilities. As such, all its signet rings and wedding bands are now made from 100 per cent recycled gold, its packaging is recyclable, and the old-cut diamonds in which it specialises are being remodelled. Using vintage and antique stones is far more sustainable and ecologically friendly compared with the environmental cost of newly mined and manufactured diamonds.
Hancocks’ wonderful handmade engagement rings combine antique cut stones with contemporary design and the finest craftsmanship to offer one-of-a-kind rings that honour the past while celebrating the present.
Its latest collection, Slinky Shoulders, uses narrow tapering shoulders of calibre cut coloured gemstones to provide a contemporary contrast to the traditional old stones they complement. Clients can also take advantage of the fully bespoke service, which enables them to create their personal engagement ring or jewel. From the initial design stages through to the fi nished handcrafted piece, Hancocks uses its decades of expertise and wideranging resources to bring its customers’ jewellery dreams alive.
Guy Burton, Director of Bespoke at Hancocks, can also work closely with clients over weeks – or even months – to create or source the perfect jewel for them. This enables Hancocks to get to know its customers and understand what matters to them, including the causes and charities close to their hearts. In 2021 Hancocks supported a variety of charities, introduced by its clients, with donations, gifts and prizes, alongside its longstanding commitments to its own chosen charities. In addition, money raised through the sale of replica medals of the Victoria Cross (a medal Hancocks has been proud to make since 1856) will be donated to VC-related charities.
As Hancocks looks forward to the future, it will continue to support its trade and work towards greater levels of sustainability, while helping its valued clients to create their own magical bejewelled moments.
