Quintessentially British, Boodles is one of the only remaining family-owned jewellers on London’s Bond Street. Founded in 1798, Boodles has grown from being a county jeweller to becoming a leading British luxury brand, with ten shops across the UK and Ireland. For six generations, Boodles has been managed by one family from its Head Offices in Liverpool and London. In its early years, the company was a silversmith and goldsmith, making the trophies for The Grand National for much of the twentieth century. Under the direction of Anthony Wainwright in the post-war years the company broadened its view and increased its ambition; a story that was to take it from silverware to fine jewellery.
Towards the end of the 20th century, Boodles began its transition to a modern, nationally recognised British brand. The cornerstone of this transformation was the decision to create a design team. Rebecca Hawkins, their first full-time jewellery designer, joined Boodles in 1990 and is still Head of Design today. Boodles’ most iconic collection is undoubtedly Raindance, and the first Raindance created such a stir, that in 2010 it was selected for the permanent jewellery exhibition in the V&A Museum as an example of an iconic British jewellery design. Storytelling has become the foundation for jewellery design in recent years including a memorable collaboration with The Royal Ballet in 2015 called ‘Pas de Deux’, a collection inspired by the 2020 film of The Secret Garden, and a collection of high value jewellery in 2021 inspired by a trip ‘Around the World in 16 Days’ taken by the late chairman Anthony Wainwright as he expanded the business exactly 60 years ago.
The company remains a privately owned family business with just four shareholders who are free to make every decision in the best interests of the business. Brothers Nicholas and Michael Wainwright lead the company from the head office in Liverpool and the flagship showroom in Bond Street. They are ably assisted by the next generation: Nicholas’s son Jody is Director of Precious Gemstones; Jody’s cousin, James Amos, is Director of Marketing and Sustainability; and Michael’s twins, Honour and Geordie, have recently joined the team. A family approach is intrinsic to every aspect of the business, from the sense of warmth felt by members of staff, to the extended family atmosphere felt by customers
Racing has been a longstanding passion of Boodles, and since 2021, Boodles have been the lead sponsor of the Cheltenham Gold Cup. They are also title sponsors at the Boodles May Festival, with Boodles long standing relationship with Chester Racecourse spanning almost two decades.
A genuine commitment to traceability and sustainability now underpins the sourcing of diamonds, gemstones, and precious metals at Boodles. This year’s principal collection was called ‘Peace of Mined’ – a story of provenance featuring diamonds sourced directly from The Cullinan Mine in South Africa – a historic mine that produced Cullinan I and Cullinan II both of which were worn by Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at her Coronation in 1953. Boodles has also moved to source all gold from one single mine: the Yanfolila Mine in West Africa, in a pioneering move by a leading jeweller. Single Mine Origin (SMO) gold provides a traceable, auditable chain of custody for every gram of gold produced, from the mine all the way to the finished piece of jewellery.
