Boodles, a sixth-generation jewellery brand, is deeply rooted in family values. The company is led by brothers Nicholas and Michael Wainwright, and their commitment to the family tradition extends to the younger generation, with their children actively involved in the business.
Honour Wainwright, daughter of Michael, fondly remembers her early days in the Bond Street store. From the age of five, she and her brother would accompany their father to work, feeling all grown up as they carried briefcases filled with crayons.
As she got older, she would work there on school breaks and weekends, making tea and cutting ribbons for packaging.
Boodles recent collection, A Family Journey, was born from Nicholas Wainwright’s 10-day tour of European cities to purchase gemstones, seek style inspiration and maintain relationships.
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It features a suite of Dublin-inspired rings whose shapes mimic the ironmongery of the capital’s Ha’penny Bridge.
The first of these has garnered a lot of attention for its cushion-shaped 18- carat, green tourmaline, which was set into a yellow gold setting with green enamel detailing and shouldered by princess-cut diamonds to emulate the landmark bridge over the river Liffey. While the one shown has been sold more Dublin-inspired designs are currently being created.
Other city-inspired pieces include the Barcelona and the London Royal Parks earrings.
Emulating the lush verdant greens of London’s squares, the London Royal Parks rose gold earrings boast two exceptional matching pear-shape, six carat tsavorites. Set in pink gold they feature very fine pink diamonds, a stone that is an integral part of Boodles handwriting.
The collection’s Barcelona pair is reflective of the work of Gaudi and feature fancy shape opals, oval pink sapphires, brilliant-cut blue sapphires and diamonds.
The Boodles family has recently partnered with the Spencer twins, Lady Amelia and Lady Eliza. As nieces of the late Princess of Wales, they exude quintessential English elegance and have inherited her nous for sporting fine jewellery in a fashionable, modern manner.
Exclusive to Boodles is the Ashoka cut, which is renowned for its brilliance and rarity, with fewer than two percent of suitable rough diamonds achieving this distinction. Designed by diamond cutter William Goldberg in New York using the golden ratio of pi, also used by Renaissance artists, it features 62 facets, which amplifies the refraction value of the stone, making it the ultimate engagement ring.
It is a favourite of the twins. Named after the ancient Indian emperor Ashoka the Great, it pays tribute to a legendary diamond discovered near Golconda Fort, in India.
A modern classic, the cut also pays homage to the friendship and working relationship that the Goldbergs and Boodles have enjoyed for three generations.
Boodles has several collections that have become design classics. Complete with its nine brilliant-cut diamonds its Raindance ring has the distinction of being included in the Victoria and Albert museum’s Best of British Design permanent collection.
Extremely covetable, pink diamonds also form part of Boodles house style. Richie Bergin, manager of the only Boodles store in Ireland, on Dublin’s Grafton Street, says these softly hued stones are hugely popular with the Irish market. “Pink diamonds are extremely rare. One of the largest sources of pink diamonds in the world, the Argyle mine in western Australia, closed in 2020, resulting in a scarcity of the precious stones that has seen their value increase, year on year since. Our customers love them.”
It is also a sartorially smart way to collect something unique and valuable without being showy, he says. “This is something that resonates with our Irish audience.”
Many of his female clients no longer wait to be bestowed with beautiful jewellery. Rather they are actively self-gifting themselves statement pieces to mark big birthdays and job promotions, he says. “In the past five to ten years it is exciting to see Irish women empowered to buy jewellery and gems for themselves.”
Boodles new Manhattan collection for men is also selling well at the Dublin store.
Designed to capture the essence of New York city it includes rings, cufflinks and bangles, all offering Ashoka-cut diamonds, he explains. The pieces have clean, crisp lines and flat surfaces that invoke an architectural feel, that pays homage to the Big Apple skyline and appeals to the local clientele.
“Irish men want to dress well and express themselves, particularly on the back of social media. Jewellery and gems are discreet ways to show-off their distinctive style.”
Pic caption: Reflective of the work of Gaudi the Barcelona earrings, from the A Family Journey collection, feature fancy shape opals, oval pink sapphires, brilliant cut blue sapphires and diamonds
As a fine jewellers Boodles is committed to contemporary standards demanded by its clientele. “Our traceability story sets us apart from other companies.’’ Honour explains. ‘’All our gold is single mine origin (SMO) gold, which means it all comes from known mines, one of which is the Yanfolila mine in Mali. We can look our customers in the eyes and tell them the exact chain of custody the gold went through.”
Two years ago, Honour and her father journeyed hundreds of meters below ground to explore South Africa’s Cullinan mine, something that had first been done by Honour’s grandfather, Anthony Wainwright, in 1977.
“The diamonds we sell were in the ground less than six months ago. They haven’t had previous lives or been flown around the world several times. Many of our diamonds come from the Cullinan mine. They are flown by helicopter to the Johannesburg office and from there to our diamond cutters in London, then to our London workshops and finally into our showrooms.”
Today, the family legacy continues with Honour and her brother, Geordie, and their cousins, James and Jody, proudly representing the upcoming generation.
As the last British family-owned business on Bond Street, a testament to its enduring family spirit, Boodles continues to design for contemporary life.
While the Spencer twins are a perfect embodiment of the Boodles brand, Ireland can claim jockey Rachael Blackmore, as a friend of the family jewellery firm. The first female to win the Grand National, she won the 2022 Gold Cup at Cheltenham, an event sponsored by Boodles.
Though its family roots are of English heritage, Boodles as a brand has become beloved by Irish jewellery fans too.
Click here to view the full A Family Journey collection at Boodles