Hamilton & Inches was established by Robert Kirk Inches and his uncle, James Hamilton, 150 years ago. With brand’s first female CEO, Victoria Houghton, newly at the helm, the Edinburgh-based jeweller and Royal Warrant holder is looking forward to an exciting future.
Victoria brings a wealth of experience from previous roles in creative buying and strategic management and her fresh approach is driven by passion and dedication. That said, she doesn’t envision attaining her goals by deviating from Hamilton & Inches’ tradition of craftsmanship and quality. Indeed, preserving the company’s rich heritage, which includes the honour of having held the Royal Warrant as silversmiths and clock specialists to Her Majesty the Queen for more than 120 years, is key to her vision for the brand.
With consumers more focused on meticulously crafted, long-lasting possessions than ever before, the British luxury sector is worth £48 billion to the British economy and is forecast to continue to experience rapid growth in the next few years, reaching around £65 billion by 2024. These statistics bode well for Hamilton & Inches, not only for the brand as a whole but for its new Scottish Gold collection, the first in a series of celebratory jewels that the company intends to launch.
The Scottish Gold collection has been designed with gold mined from the Cononish Gold Mine.
The Scottish Gold collection has been designed with gold mined from the Cononish Gold Mine in the Scottish Highlands, the only commercial gold mine in Scotland. The Hamilton & Inches Scottish Gold boasts Single Mine Origin (SMO) status, which means its exact origin is certified, and it is refined without coming into contact with any other gold. Comprising a collection of 30 stunning heirloom pieces inspired by Scotland’s craft legacy, each piece has been painstakingly handcrafted by world-class fine jewellery designers and master craftspeople in Hamilton & Inches’ Edinburgh workshop. Hamilton & Inches is also offering clients a rare opportunity to design special commissions from their own piece of Scottish gold.
Of course, Britain is synonymous not just with heritage but also with innovation, both of which Hamilton & Inches embraces whole-heartedly, weaving new concepts and ideas together with history and tradition. The Holyrood Cuff, from the new Scottish Gold collection, perfectly exemplifies this, paying homage to the brand’s Victorian roots and marrying a bold, dramatic shape with vintage-inspired curves and lines.
Similarly, Hamilton & Inches’ Edinburgh showroom on George Street is a testament to the past; developed from a private residence to a retail space in 1835, and will soon be undergoing renovations to create an immersive retail experience, while retaining many of its precious original features.
Above the showroom, the Hamilton & Inches workshop weds traditional craftsmanship with new talent, championing a new generation of craftspeople while retaining the detailed meticulousness of artisanal skill. ‘It’s an exciting and invigorating time for Hamilton & Inches and I’m delighted to have joined at such a moment in its history,’ says Victoria Houghton. ‘I’m looking forward to building on such an iconic Scottish brand and blending its abundant heritage with new and vibrant future plans in 2020.’
