Garrard

A Mayfair jeweller founded in 1735, Crown Jeweller from 1843 to 2007, that makes jewellery, engagement rings and sporting trophies.

About Garrard

Garrard is a London jeweller that makes fine jewellery and engagement rings, repairs and restores pieces, and has made some of the most famous trophies in sport. Its work includes the America's Cup, the Cricket World Cup trophy and the Premier League trophy. It also made the sapphire engagement ring that Prince Charles gave Lady Diana Spencer in 1981, which was later given to Catherine Middleton in 2011. The company says every engagement ring it makes today has a small sapphire set in the band.

Garrard's own description is that it is "the longest-serving jeweller in the world". Its history says it opened its first shop in 1735 on the Haymarket in London's theatre district, making silver and gold plates for banquets. Queen Victoria appointed it Crown Jeweller in 1843, and Garrard cut the Koh-i-Noor diamond, with the Duke of Wellington coming to watch. It looked after the Crown Jewels until 2007. For the 1911 Delhi Durbar it made jewels for Queen Mary. It still holds a royal warrant from King Charles III. The firm's modern aim, as it describes it, is to make its heritage relevant to women today with jewellery that is "exquisite and easy to wear".

In the UK, Garrard's home is its Mayfair boutique at 24 Albemarle Street, where it says it has been since 1911, though Wikipedia says it moved back there in 2002 after spells on Regent Street, so the sources do not agree. The boutique shows historic ledgers and a room named after Queen Mary, and visits are by appointment. Its site shows prices in pounds, handles repairs through its stores page and offers a "Find a Boutique" service. In 2024 it held a pop-up in Dubai, which the firm presented as a first for a British jeweller.

On people, Garrard's article describes craftspeople who work on pieces by hand, including repairs and one-off stones, and a design team of women who design for women. They look to historic jewels for ideas: a diamond pattern from the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara appears in its Albemarle collection, and the cluster setting from Queen Victoria's brooch appears in its 1735 collection. It describes service as central to how it treats clients, which are the firm's own statements.

A house like this employs designers, gem setters and goldsmiths who work on pieces by hand, repair specialists, client advisers who look after people choosing engagement rings or heirlooms, and archivists, marketing, e-commerce, events and finance staff. If you like history, design and detailed craft work, Garrard shows how a centuries-old trade still needs both traditional skill and modern retail teams.

What they do

• {'desc': 'Collections such as Albemarle and 1735, with sapphires as a signature stone.', 'title': 'Fine jewellery and engagement rings'}
• {'desc': "Sports trophies such as the America's Cup and Premier League trophy, and silverware.", 'title': 'Trophies and silver'}
• {'desc': 'Repair and restoration of jewellery through its boutique.', 'title': 'Repairs and restoration'}

Key facts

• First shop opened in 1735; appointed Crown Jeweller by Queen Victoria in 1843; looked after the Crown Jewels until 2007
• Flagship boutique at 24 Albemarle Street, Mayfair (visits by appointment)
• Made the 1981 sapphire engagement ring later worn by Catherine, Princess of Wales
• Holds a royal warrant from King Charles III

Website: www.garrard.com